When it comes to recruitment, election years always make for interesting trends. Throw into the mix a global pandemic, a nationwide lockdown, closed borders and a new norm of working from home, and the recruitment market is experiencing trends never seen before.
Asset Recruitment has been observing these trends with interest, from a perspective of both our clients and our candidates. Our recruitment specialist, Judy Davison shares her insights into the current recruitment market we find ourselves in.
The ebb and flow of recruitment
If there’s one word that could describe 2020, it would be ‘uncertainty’, and uncertainty in the recruitment world brings change. During and after lockdown it’s safe to say we saw quite a drastic reduction in recruitment, but over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a steady increase for both temporary and permanent positions throughout Waikato.
Even though this can be seen as a positive trend, there is still uncertainty in the market. Employers remain uncertain about what the future economic landscape holds. We’ve witnessed first-hand that things can change quickly, and just need to look elsewhere in the world for confirmation.
Job security a priority
Towards the end of the year, there is often a restlessness in the market, as employees begin thinking ahead to the New Year, contemplating a change after a relaxing summer break. At the moment, there’s a sense of hesitancy among talent, who instead of looking for a change are favouring job security rather than searching for a new position in an uncertain climate.
This scenario brings similarities to the pre-COVID job-seekers market, where good talent is hard to find and quick to be snapped up. Candidates who are currently employed are hesitant to make a change and need to be convinced even more-so to move elsewhere.
Transferable skills are at the fore
There has been a number of job losses as a result of COVID-19, particularly in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors . While this provides uncertainty for staff in these sectors, there are still employers looking for hardworking, reliable and skilled candidates. It is therefore important for a candidate to highlight their transferable skills clearly in their CV and be confident in the application of those skills into a new role and sector.
To secure great candidates for a role, employers should look for potential, at the breadth of skills candidates present, and continue to place great importance on organisational fit.
The right fit more important than ever
At Asset, our approach to recruitment is all about finding the right fit. Although we match candidates based on their skill set and work experience, we also take time to find out about them; their career ambitions, their commitment to professional development, their interests and hobbies. Our holistic approach to recruitment helps us to achieve the right client-candidate fit.
During times of uncertainty, this is more important than ever. Having the right team members who foster an organisational culture of support, leadership and a can-do attitude, will help to navigate the uncertain months, if not years, ahead of us.
What is certain is that our sourcing and selection strategy remains the same during this time – it is still about finding the right person, for the right role, at the right time. No global pandemic, nor nationwide lockdown, will change that.
Positioning excellence
Whether you’re seeking permanent, executive, temporary or industrial recruitment support in the current market, give our team a call today. We’ll work with you to help find the best solution for you.