Covid-19 has caused a great upset in the Irish economy, and in the job market. With nationwide and local lockdowns, more space between seats and tables, our economy was halted in its tracks, jobs lost, companies closed, and we have yet to fully recover. However, as we begin the process of reopening, companies begin the process of taking on more staff.
We have compiled a list of challenges employers will face as they recruit and hire staff, in the wake of Covid-19. Being aware of these challenges will enable you to be better prepared to face and combat these, and hire the best people to add to your team.
- More candidates applying and more unqualified.
We are not yet seeing a “real” market in terms of the number of people looking for jobs, this will only be seen when the government assistance ends. For many it will be near impossible to get a job in an industry where they have experience and qualifications. When the government assistance ends you will see enormous increase in applications from candidates who are unqualified and unsuitable. Filtering through these applications is going to take up a considerable amount of time and resources.
- More candidates will be overqualified.
People will be looking to move into Industries where there are more opportunities and possibly offer more stable employment. Expect to see a lot of candidates apply who are more senior than the job requires with little experience in your industry.
- The longer the recruitment process the more possibility of losing ideal candidates.
Getting a handle on recruitment and doing it quickly will result in helping you find your ideal candidate. The best candidates will get snapped up quickly. Be flexible in how you recruit this will ensure you get the best talent there is.
- Large gaps in resumes will occur but should not be discounted.
This is normally seen as a red light but in the current climate these candidates should not be overlooked.
- Skill gaps persist
Despite higher unemployment, skill gaps will exist and there will still be hard to fill roles. Don’t fall into the belief that higher unemployment means more candidates for every role – it doesn’t.
- Providing learning and retraining will be vital
With the future of certain Industries uncertain, like Travel and Hospitality, there will be candidates from these sectors applying for positions but who may need training. Businesses with onboarding programs and mentoring will be poised to maximise the potential of this type of candidate
- Salary levels
Normally high unemployment is associated with businesses offering lower salaries, but it is unlikely this will be the case post Covid. Businesses who offer lowered salaries will fill the positions but will find that their retention levels will go up and cost the business more in the long run.
- Managing Volume
With high unemployment the response to job vacancies will increase. Unsolicited CVs will increase as will cold calls so managing this in a timely manner and professionally will become very important for company reputation and in securing the ideal candidate for your business. You may need to review how you process your recruitment needs and ensure your processes can deal with increases in volume.
- Recruitment Team
Recruitment has been moving steady towards candidate sourcing rather than advertising and responding to those that apply to a job advertisement. Recruitment teams have become more sophisticated as the skills needed to seduce a candidate are different from those needed to process large numbers of responses to job advertisements. It will be crucial to adjust your recruitment team to meet the new demands and higher volumes of applications.
As experienced recruiters we at Sapphire can help you hire well and hire efficiently at a time when there are less resources to dedicate to the recruitment process that is going to become very time consuming and onerous.
Sapphire has modified its service and offer flexible options for businesses. This includes unbundling our services to help with specific recruitment tasks on a fee for service basis while providing flexible terms during this Covid – 19 period.
Contact us today and discuss your options.
