Despite drastic changes in many sectors decimated by the global coronavirus pandemic resulting in not just a hiring freeze, but some organisations disappearing completely, there are a number of sectors that are continuing to hire.

Aside from the much-publicised front-line efforts that are keeping the day-to-day operations of the country going, it’s business almost as usual for many others too, with the only change being remote working.

Many of the constants that traditionally result in hiring are still with us: succession planning; retirements; resignations; and relocations are continuing. Then there’s the move to remote working itself and the increased use of cloud technology, which has placed an emphasis on the importance of skilled tech professionals, as well as project and change management talent. That demand has increased further for companies that have also pivoted their services to move into a more digital line of work.

If you’re in a sector that is predominantly business as usual, then remote working shouldn’t alter your hiring and growth plans completely. In fact, for those that have one eye on the competition and view the current situation as a potential window of opportunity, we are seeing real risk and reward, where businesses are securing the services of top talent now, rather than waiting for life to return to normal. Moving to an online recruitment process is both streamlining what was often a lengthy process involving multiple stakeholders, as well as improving the candidate experience. There is less need now for out of office hours interviews, for example, or finding a diary window for both parties to meet up. Remote interviews have resulted in an efficiency that candidates have never experienced before, and those who are looking for a move are being rewarded with interview prep time at home and the whole process being completed in familiar surroundings.

The uptake in inexpensive video conferencing apps in recent weeks has been phenomenal, to the extent that what was once a novelty is now fast becoming the norm. Team meetings have moved online, for example, and there are more face-to-face calls in general, as people starved of human contact are choosing to see as well as talk to others. The results is that, as we all become more familiar with the software, which in turn is fast improving to become more robust, online interviews will become second nature with possibly no return to a physical meeting, certainly for the early rounds of the hiring process. While some forward-thinking companies were already on board with remote interviewing and hiring, the enforced move to its adoption for many others may have introduced them to the future of recruiting years earlier than they were anticipating, which when the dust settles may be an improvement all round.



If your recruitment plans are stagnating or you would like help in moving to a more efficient online process, don’t hesitate to get in touch.