Business managers need to know that experienced, reputable recruitment agencies are no strangers to adapting to the changing landscape of recruitment. Recruitment agencies have weathered the storms of economic downturn and recession in the past and are still at the helm, helping businesses navigate their way through these unchartered waters. This article explores some of the reasons that recruitment agencies are still playing a pivotal role, as businesses’ needs adjust, in line with this ever-evolving economic and employment landscape.

Recruiters remain on top of recruiting trends and industry developments

Seasoned recruiters have a formidable host of carefully honed skills which help keep them abreast of rapidly changing hiring needs. More than ever before, recruiters are playing a strategic role in advising business leaders, by staying on top of recruitment trends and industry developments as they enfold. Recruiters have always adopted an adaptable mindset since the recruiting sphere is not static but always evolving. Staying finely tuned into target audiences’ and niche industries’ needs, has always been central to recruitment agencies’ mandate. Hiring trends will continue to change, both in the immediate term and further down the line, as the country recovers, as it always has, from previous recessions or downturn. Recruiters can give valuable insight into a business’ existing workforce and future recruitment needs in these unprecedented, challenging times. Access to and effective data-analysis, can put recruiters in the most strategic position to address businesses’ recruitment needs in line with these latest trends.

Recognising the value of transferable skills

There has been much published on the mental health cost to employees, as a direct result of the employment changes brought about by the Covid -19 virus. This period will be inexorably linked to conversations about unemployment and recession. It’s vital for the wellbeing of this great nation to get people back into work as quickly as possible. Some businesses, hardest hit at this time, have had to lay off exceptionally talented individuals. However, these resilient candidates are ready and willing to take up alternative employment opportunities, if steered in the correct direction by experienced recruiters, who can recognise and tap into the excellent set of transferable skills they have to offer other businesses. Encouraging businesses to think “outside the box” when it comes to considering these multi-skilled candidates, has led to many candidates being suitably matched in more innovative ways. Where businesses do not feel able to commit to longer-term employment contracts, shorter temporary arrangements have been secured by recruitment agencies from an excellent pool of talent.

Providing an excellent candidate experience

The limitations caused by Covid-19 have acted as a catalyst to further centralising some aspects of recruitment, allowing recruitment agencies to speed up the conversion rate from the application stage through to the offering stage, without compromising the candidate experience or finding the most appropriate match for the business client. Operating virtually and managing to conduct seamless job interviews with the use of video calling technology at record speed, has caused recruiters to rethink some of more traditional processes. Expanding the client reach with the greater availability of candidates and adapting interview techniques to optimise the candidate assessment while still incorporating the human elements of empathy and patience, created a consistent streamlined process which provided recruiters with clearer insight into the holistic candidate recruitment experience. This has proved valuable for candidates and businesses alike.