Prioritising skills gaps on the other side of Covid-19

Prioritising skills gaps on the other side of Covid-19

Written by Nicky Hutchinson, Unlocking Potential Recruitment Manager

There is little doubt in my mind, that when we return to some semblance of normal on the other side of Covid-19, that we will be in a brave new world when it comes to recruitment and skills acquisitions.

Undoubtedly, there will be firms which don’t make it through and sadly that means that many others will be affected by job losses.

So, from a previous situation of full-employment before ‘Lockdown’ – I predict that when we return to working a bit more normally, we will see a much more active set of job seekers competing for opportunities.

Now is the time to start making plans

If you know you need to recruit staff on the other side, now is the time to start making plans, identifying skills gaps and collateral that will help you stand out to those new jobseekers.

1. Prioritise your recruitment towards the skills sets you know are hardest to secure to capitalise on a potential temporary glut of them in the market place.
2. Reconsider your offer carefully – what makes you an attractive employer in the longer term; not having a job will undoubtedly panic people into securing one quickly – but no employers want to recruit people who will just disappear when a better offer comes along. Could you offer flexible working hours or consider someone working from home?
3. Review your salary offers in line with national standards to ensure you are competitive
4. Make a recruitment video out of any footage you have of your business in action. Recruitment videos engage applicants in video adverts for 300% longer and increase your application numbers.
5. Focus in on your organisational values and what that means in terms of the attitude and behaviours you are recruiting for – when there are lots of skills in the market, differentiating on the basis of a very clear set of these will be much more important for choosing between candidates.
6. Choose national advertising channels to ensure your roles reach the broadest audience

If you are considering recruiting and would like to talk further with a member of our team, please email us