Companies have thrived or survived during this time. It’s been pivotal for companies to provide flexibility, resources and tools to adapt quickly but it’s been easier said than done.
This pandemic has disrupted every industry; every organisation and most job roles now look different to the working life before COVID-19.
When over 1.3 million employers used the UK furlough scheme* it pressed pause on 8.86 million jobs! Skilled workers left without their day to day job responsibilities made them available for temporary work elsewhere.
The access to temporary recruitment helped to support thriving industries with their sudden influx and demand for their products or services.
In fact, 19% of companies using temporary workers estimated that they would not be able to operate without the use of temporary workers.**
Let’s take a look at the positive changes covid has had on recruitment and what it means for employers and employees.
Employees expecting more flexibility V’s Employers having a wider reach of the talent pool
The pandemic has enlightened workers about the benefits of working from home and the hours wasted commuting is now spent on self-care, education or more family time.
Employers were forced to provide home working (where possible) and surprisingly the benefits outweighed the perceived negative. This also has enlightened employers in the opportunity to recruit beyond the geographic boundaries and have access to a larger, more diverse and inclusive talent pool like never before.
The endless zoom meetings have given employers and colleagues an insight into the intricacies of one another’s lives. Who hasn’t met the partners, pets and children on a zoom call or taken in the background with an impressive book collection or cute family portrait?
This has created a shift in the need to improve and support employees inside and outside work. Employers that have got this right are seeing a 21% increase in the number of high performers***
New Opportunities Found V’s New Talent Found
The REC recruitment and recovery report found over 300,000 people use the recruitment industry to leave unemployment for a permanent role. This means the economy saves £3 billion on benefit payments. Another impressive statistic shows every 21 seconds; somebody finds a permanent role through a recruitment agency. And that’s not all – over 100,000 young people a year find their first job through a recruitment agency. Employers report that the overall cost of a bad hire to a business is estimated to be three times higher than the salary paid, so getting recruitment right can be a considerable driver of recovery. Recruitment agencies can increase the diversity of the candidates and improve the quality of matching, and productivity increases as a result of helping companies find the right candidates.
Getting recruitment right for everyone to bounce back: Businesses, Workers, The Economy
Getting recruitment right boosts UK productivity by £7.7bn each year – this must be used to drive the recovery. A focused, driven, and talented work pool is the key driver to a business’s success.
Today, a fifth of the UK’s entire workforce has found their current job through the recruitment industry, and over half of companies say that they are currently using an external agency to help with recruitment**.
We’ve worked through recessions, we experienced difficult economic times, our business has survived the challenging journey covid put upon us, and we thrive on helping others do the same. The difficult times always bring the same solution – find the right candidates for the unexpected opportunities quickly and efficiently. Recruiters aren’t just here for the bad times; we are here for the good times and can provide:
- Expertise in your sector,
- Give you access to a diverse pool of candidates,
- Offer regional expertise,
- Strengthen your employer brand,
- Advise on workforce planning and
- Quick access to temporary workers.
If you would like to find out more about our recruitment services and the talent pool we have access to, then give us a call.