Coronavirus is changing the way we operate within business, from moving entire operations from office-based to working remotely, to changing the way we source new talent and the hiring process behind it.
You may have noticed the number of searches you appear in weekly on LinkedIn has dropped significantly as more companies put their talent acquisition efforts on the backburner. We shouldn’t let this mask the opportunities and new ways of working the pandemic has brought us. The lockdown has shown many businesses that they are able to run most of their services remotely, which has opened up the way that they work permanently.
When companies start to move forward on hiring, whenever that may be, the available options will be much wider and, based off the necessity to work remotely, the talent pool and associated options are almost endless given the scope we are now familiar with.
Our HR experts at The Hub Events have collated three predictions on how the recruitment landscape has evolved and will be different in the ‘new normal’ world we’re headed toward.
Visa requirements no longer a talent barrier
Companies have historically had to allocate a considerable financial backing for work sponsorships to recruit top international talent.
Not withholding the cost of attracting, recruiting and sponsoring candidates, retention is another factor that can be a costly exercise. The possibility of losing a recruit after relationships have been built and they have embedded into their role may be as costly as a retention scheme itself.
With the December 2020 deadline looming for the end of free movement between the UK and EU member states and new immigration rules being implemented, this once vast workforce market will no longer be a viable source for international or specialist talent given immigration parameters.
During the crisis, the move to remote working has really taken off and opened us up to a new world of possibilities. One of these possibilities is hiring top talent internationally without the hassle or cost relocating candidates. This can be achieved by engaging remotely – entirely negating the need to sponsor relocations or work visas.
Flexitime and remote working needs can be accommodated
Flexitime work arrangements have slowly started gaining popularity over the years, and remote working has up until now been regarded as a luxury granted to few.
The health crisis has necessitated companies to adapt and integrate this method as a way of staying afloat and retaining jobs and has given upper management helpful insight into the possibilities it holds. We’ve previously seen corporates like IBM and Yahoo move away from remote working as an attempt to bolster productivity, but without much room for this during the pandemic, remote working has risen to the top in terms of viable alternatives to keep the wheels in motion.
This solution may not be best for all companies, but now that the opportunities have been realised, businesses can take a more flexible approach. This will open the recruitment landscape to many more candidates who otherwise wouldn’t be able to commute every day – the likes of parents, people without transport, and people with limited mobility included.
Negated need to commute
Restrictions on public transport coupled with remote working has led to a limited ability and requirement to commute, but it has also sparked the realisation that a long commutes can hamper productivity. Companies are seeing workers that are positively affected without the stress of time-consuming travel; higher outputs and productivity, less chance of falling ill and needing time off work, and of course, a happier worker that makes for an overall positive environment are part and parcel of this freedom.
During a time of such high uncertainty, it’s reassuring and somewhat comforting to know that there are ways we can adapt to make recruitment and the working arrangements we offer more appealing and conducive to productivity, while realising the positive effect the change has brought.
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Read first-hand how HR leaders have adapted to the new normal.