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Recrutiment & Employment Confederation
Insight

Creating the agility to flourish in a post-COVID-19 world

Business advice

Over a third of recruitment business leaders who've taken part in our COVID-19 webinars consistently said they are very confident that the economy and their business will bounce back post-COVID-19 - a steady confidence level we've been observing for the past five weeks.

We’ve faced a new reality and rapidly adapted our businesses and ways of working to fit the new norm, but we are not going to be in this state forever. We need to start looking to the future and think about how our businesses will look like as we emerge from the other side of this crisis.

During last week’s COVID-19 webinar, we looked at a post-apocalyptic world and explored strategies recruiters and recruitment business owners should deploy now to prepare your business and team for what lies ahead. Here, we share the five key learnings with action points and signposts to find additional support from to help you navigate these challenging times:

1. At this time of unprecedented economic disruption, cashflow has been a pressing concern for the majority of recruitment businesses.

Action: Now is a time to get a handle on your cashflow and try to build up to having at least 3 months, and in the long term 6 months cash reserves.

What help is available for recruiters:

There are a number of financial support schemes to help recruiters including the Future Fund, CBILS, CLBILS and others. Head to our COVID-19 hub for a full overview and useful links to start your application.

2. You are selling on value and the currency of value is trust. Transparency is crucial in gaining your clients' trust.

Action: Be authentic and honest in all your communications. Move away from a transactional marketplace and instead focus on building long-lasting client relationships.

Resources to help you:

We have put together a guide to help members deal with crisis comms and managing journalists during COVID-19. It's available on request.

"The advice I'd give to business leaders is now is the time to really invest heavily in your network, your relationships and your brand - you've got to make sure people know who you are and what you stand for, and this is the time to do it." Hung Lee
 

3. COVID-19 has accelerated the use of technology and the formation of virtual teams.

It has become evident that physical distance does not necessarily make one remote from the rest of the team. The changes in the way we work and interact with one another are here to stay. As our speaker, Howard Greenwood of LoveWorkLife said, it’s not “social distancing”, its “physical distancing”, so build your community now and engage them.

Action: Embrace the new digital marketplace by actively supporting staff that works remotely; keep your CRM system, website, and cyber-security solutions up-to-date; and encourage clients to use recruitment methods enabled by technology. 

Resources to help you:

4. The lockdown has put workers' mental health and wellbeing at the forefront, highlighting the need to be a good, caring employer to staff.

Action: Make sure you show a genuine level of care and empathy, and engage with all staff - set this as a regular annual goal.

Resources to help you:

5. In a fast-paced and unpredictable world, being able to understand labour market trends and projections relating to economic activity will help you be in the best position to grab the opportunities that come your way.

Action: Follow research-led analysis to identify growing markets and be agile and ready to diversify activities.  

Resources to help you:

There is growing certainty that we’re heading towards a different world. From changes in workforce composition to new recruitment processes and techniques, recruiters must use this time to refine their strategy and be ready to hit the ground running.

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