Is now a good time to add to your team?
TeamSelect.je believe yes it is, but are we being biased? One thing is for sure, hiring and recruitment will likely never be the way it was before the lockdown, we have been through lots of changes and who knows what the world of work will look like a year from now?
Sadly, making redundancies has been unavoidable for some businesses, and it’s likely there are more to come, and this will inevitably increase the number of candidates applying to your firm. However, this doesn’t mean they will have the talent you need, in fact, finding the best talent among a bigger pool of applicants can be worse than only having a handful. Also, don’t think for one minute that as there are a lot of candidates available now that this will still be the case in a few months' time when your recruitment freeze is lifted – figures suggest that we could be facing a skills shortage in some industries.
If you do decide to recruit, you need to plan - this situation makes it more important to prepare, but be realistic… even a little optimistic. Waiting until the market feels normal to start recruiting again could be a mistake as you could lose out on the top talent, and the chances are that this will be to a competitor. It’s no secret you have to move quickly if you want to bag the best talent around.
Use this time to keep building your network and promoting your company culture and branding, it is good to show that you are still very much in business. If you are actively interviewing / advertising vacancies, be honest – if there isn’t a position right now don’t give false hope, or worsestill, the silent treatment. Simply explain that your recruitment is on pause as you need to look after your current employees – this could even help to build your image as a reputable and committed employer, retaining candidate interest for when you are in a position to add to your team.
It’s a good time to interview, as many candidates feel very comfortable with video conferencing, video interviewing is expected and accepted. The lockdown certainly hasn’t stopped hiring altogether, and many companies have already embraced a fully remote process. New hires can be interviewed, meet the team, be trained and start working remotely without ever meeting in person. Think about how remote access will impact things that aren’t ‘day-job’ activities. Does your company have the procedures for training, promotions, disciplinary and other meetings that will need to carry on despite our remote working patterns? Don’t wait until it’s an urgent requirement, or after a hire has been made, to consider it.
Get ahead of the game! Even if you can’t bring new employees on-board right now, what’s stopping you networking, holding interviews, marketing your reputation and demonstrating your values in preparation for a return to work, so that when things do settle into a new normal, whatever that may be, you can make final decisions quicker than your competitors, winning the talent your business needs and getting you ahead of the game!
Pictured top: Toni O'Flaherty, Director at Select Recruitment