Since the advent of COVID-19, the jobs market in the UK has been destabilised. From furlough through to large UK companies collapsing into administration it’s also meant the job of recruitment professionals has naturally become more complex. However with the rate of vaccination keeping the country on course to be heading back to relative normality what does this mean for recruiters?
Initial signs nationwide are positive for the jobs market. 56% of companies surveyed said they intended to take new staff on in the next three months, and that sentiment is also echoed by SMEs, not just larger companies.
This could translate to a number of positives for recruitment professionals, and in this article, we will cover just a few of these and what they may mean in the long term.
More People Shifting To New Professions
One challenge for job seekers is the adjustment in demand in certain sectors. This means in the coming months, and likely years, recruiters will see an even greater number of people trying to move into new areas of work.
In 2019 the most common employed sector in the UK was Retail & Wholesale, with over 4 million in a job role. With the High Street already on its knees, the collapse of retailers such as Arcadia Group has significantly contributed to the UK’s increasing unemployment rate.
How will this affect recruiters? More applications for jobs in which candidates have little to no experience, meaning entry-level jobs may become significantly harder to place moving forwards. Additional screening may need to be added into the application process to whittle down applicants in a fair way without the manual work needed in the past.
Higher Expectations From Job Seekers Looking For Roles
Homeworking is likely to soon be a basic requirement for most candidates who work in applicable industries. One of the sole positives of the Pandemic is the increased trust in a more modern way of working, with 26% of employees intending to work from home after the pandemic.
Failure to adapt to this mentality may mean that roles for less willing employers are harder to fill for recruiters. Considering the Tech industry continues to ascend as a share of the UK job’s market it stands to reason certain areas of the market will have a skills shortage in more senior positions.
According to a report from King Recruitment 6/10 of the hardest to recruit for jobs are in Software and Coding. As a sector that is easily incorporated into the WFH model, any employers who don’t offer that flexibility will be an even bigger challenge to recruit for.
Technology Meaning More Candidates Can Interview For Each Role
So far it’s been a degree of doom and gloom for recruiters, but that’s far from the case. Restrictions on travelling and meeting in person have assisted in making employers and interviews more open to virtual interviews.
While there will certainly be a return to in-person interviews in the future it’s likely that early-stage interviews will now be solely over the phone or via a video call. This will give prospective employees more flexibility at least, and increasing the number of candidates willing to go through the early stages of the process.
Potential For Increased Risks To Recruitment Professionals
With more candidates likely to come through recruitment agencies in the coming months there’s also an increased risk to recruiters as a result. That’s why it’s important to obtain adequate recruitment consultant insurance, which gives protection from the biggest cause of claims against you.
An all in one policy will provide you with professional indemnity insurance, which can help protect you in the event of an unhappy client. This type of cover will only become more essential over time, with protection if you give a client inaccurate or poor advice. A claim can be as simple as a candidate winning a position but not disclosing facts such as a criminal record. Even though you have not misled the client you may still be liable.