The effects of COVID-19 have by no means been equitable within the recruitment market
While many industries have felt the pinch of the pandemic, many job sectors have seen unparalleled growth: from frontline roles in healthcare, to jobs in tech, opportunity has come knocking, and the sectors seeing the most growth have been hiring apace.
The sectors that have seen the most growth have been the ones where, contrary to some industry movements, candidate shortages still do exist. While there has been a general move away from the candidate-led recruitment market into one very much dominated by client-led dominance and candidate surpluses, in the tech, engineering, life sciences and professional services fields there are still critical shortages of talent.
What the pandemic has done most acutely, amongst wholesale changes to workplaces, working culture and career expectations, is upset the traditional model of hiring new staff.
Which brings us to the process of finding a new job: how has this changed during a pandemic?
What typical candidate behaviours can still be relied on to open doors and find that step up, and what new challenges do candidates face when looking for a new role?
Do your research!
Recruitment is one of the most expensive and time consuming of HR functions and more than ever companies need relevant, prepared employees to onboard efficiently and effectively.
In essence, this is no different to how traditional job seeking: look at crafting a unique, company specific application and make sure you’re highlighting where best you can add value.
With the additional pressure of COVID-19 creating critical staff shortages, this is the perfect opportunity to hone your search and apply yourself to those most in need.
Perfect your social media
Social media is now the front line of job seeking: your channels represent the front door for many brands looking to bring talent to their firm through direct means.
From your right to maintain a private sphere, to building your professional network, spending time curating a public-facing social media profile is now an essential part of job seeking, and will become more important as remote working becomes more commonplace and digital communications become an established norm.
The rise and rise of AI
The digital transformations underway within human resources have been sped up and exacerbated by COVID-19. The disruption to communications across the hiring spectrum has meant companies are looking streamline onboarding. As such, AI systems
have been employed to automate sourcing applicants.
When 52% of hiring managers say one the main difficulties in hiring adequate talent comes down to shortlisting from large candidate pools, AI is the fix.
ATS and intelligent software will scour candidate bases, online databases, and applications for job suitability, job role keywords and applicability. Think of it as an automated screening system: improvements to AI hiring systems mean they don’t just match keywords from your CV, but will take a measured analysis of where you’ve worked, your interests and background to value the quality of hire.
Expand your network
Use this time to expand your network, with both recruiters and directly with brands and professionals in companies you want to work in.
Sow the seeds of a relationship, and remember: the more visual and memorable you are, the more you’ll stand out.
Don’t forget the details!
From being able to reference your career background on LinkedIn, to spelling errors on your CV, remember the small details!
Double check your social media profiles are private where they need to be, triple check spelling errors on your CV. Good recruiters can help in this regard, helping you perfect your client-facing personality.
References
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/articles/theimpactofthecoronavirussofartheindustriesthatstruggledorrecovered/2020-12-09
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/employers/blog/calculate-cost-per-hire/
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-recruiting-guide/
https://ideal.com/ai-recruiting/