How the recruitment market has changed post-COVID

Things have certainly changed for the recruitment industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Few could have predicted back in March 2020, when then Prime Minister asked us all to stay indoors for just a few weeks, that what lay ahead would fundamentally transform the way we work day-to-day, and what we’re looking for in terms of work/life balance.

Before COVID-19, potential candidates looking for their next role would often focus on the salary and basic benefits, such as a company car and maybe pension contributions.

Meanwhile, brands looking for their next Sales Director or high-level Executive wanted to know about experience and product knowledge above almost everything else. As a result, we would see many people moving from one particular heating brand to another, to another, for example, as they would have the product and industry/merchant knowledge to hit the ground running.

But post-pandemic things are very different. Candidates who would have thought nothing about spending 3-4 days travelling up and down the UK’s motorways visiting customers are now looking far more seriously at their work/life balance, with hybrid working now far more popular and with fewer people prepared to spend hours in their car, or commuting to an office.

Meanwhile, companies are looking far more widely for a more diverse range of skills, with knowledge and experience of sustainability, environmental issues and diversity, for example, now moving higher up the list of key skills than ever before.

We’re also finding that the initial talent pool itself is much smaller than it used to be. Expectations from candidates in terms of salary, flexible hours and benefits are far more precise and demanding, with these benefits often needing to be established before a candidate will even consider having a conversation about potentially changing jobs.

Another factor to consider is the loyalty that many candidates now have for the employers that took care of them during the pandemic in terms of furlough payments and salary top ups. Those who were disappointed with their employers’ handling of the pandemic are likely to have already moved positions, and so there are now far fewer candidates ‘actively’ looking for work.

That makes finding the right candidate for a position much harder than it used to be, often making it more time consuming to gather a shortlist of potential new hires. That’s why it is more important than ever to seek out the advice of an experienced recruitment agency – after all, if you were looking to completely renovate and redecorate your kitchen or bathroom you would be far more likely to call in the professionals rather than try to do-it-yourself – and it’s no different when looking to find your next Sales Director or Chief Financial Officer. Why try and DIY it when you could access the expertise of people who do this every day, know how to avoid the potential pitfalls, and have a ready list of potential candidates waiting for you?

If you have an important company position that you need to fill, why not find out how SOS Executive Search can help? Call Sean O’Sullivan at 07815 009 524 to find out more.