Your post COVID-19 recruitment strategy

Covid-19 has undeniably affected the recruitment industry – whether you are an agency or recruit in an internal capacity, you will have felt the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic.

For many, recruitment plans are going to be different for quiet some time so we wanted to put together a piece that discusses common market trends and offers advice on how you can innovate your 2021 recruitment plans

Market Trends

Remote Working

The biggest debate in the business world right now is; Is the future of work remote working? Many companies have found that remote working has brought out the best in their staff, with numerous tech giants (including Facebook and Google) embracing a fully remote working model until Summer 2021.

The positives to remote working include employees commuting expenses are reduced, improved work-life balance and reduced exposure to Covid-19. On the other hand, negatives include poor mental health and lack of motivation/concentration. Despite these drawbacks, the positives far outweigh these which is why many companies are now looking at way to support employees who are struggling with remote working.

Automation & Technology

Whether we like it or not, automation & new technology has been the saviour of many companies during the Covid-19 pandemic and it is here to stay.
When it comes to recruitment, technology and Artificial Intelligence can’t replace ‘human’ recruitment entirely, but they can serve as valuable tools to help the process run smoother.

Recruitment 2021

Looking past Covid-19, it can be difficult to know where to start strategizing for 2021. Here are four things you need to assess before implementing your recruitment strategy post-Covid:

1. Recognise the skills gaps in your business
Assessing the skills gaps enables you to be more streamlined during the recruitment process. It also allows you to identify the specific areas that require additional skillsets.

2. Do you need to hire, or upskill?

We advise asking yourself the following questions before putting out a requisition to your recruitment team/agency:

• Are the requirements going to take longer than 3 months for current employees to learn?
• Are the requirements too niche?
• Will the team be overwhelmed if we take on this responsibility?
• Are the requirements permanent?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, it is time to post a job advert. If not, it Is likely current members of staff can be upskilled to satisfy the needs of the business.

3. Re-think your interview process
Behavioural interview techniques will not only allow you to get an insight into how the individual deals with challenges. Aptitude tests are another way to enrich your interview process, by enabling you to get a deeper understanding of the individual that is being interviewed.

4. Onboarding and post-placement care
Your recruitment process should not stop when a candidate becomes a member of your team. Read our guide on how to effectively on-board new starters remotely here.

5. It’s a marathon – not a sprint!
Our biggest piece of advice is to focus on what you can do to improve your recruitment strategy for 2021.

The Business Connection can help find your dream team and give you the support and resources you need to keep them happy at work. To find out more, contact us today.