Recruiters – Be a Lifeline to Your Network

Amidst the uncertainty of what lies ahead for the job landscape as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to remember that our workforce will recover, and when it does, recruiters need to make sure they have kept their candidate relationships intact.

While many working individuals are in crisis-management mode, recruiters can be their lifeline at the very least to keep them informed of the opportunities that lie ahead. No one has the exact data as to how the pandemic will unfold in terms of joblessness and economic upheaval. Some accounts are bleak, predicting a worst-case jobless rate at 10.6%. Others are more optimistic, noting the hiring boom of some industries like Amazon hiring 100,000 workers to meet the skyrocketing demand for online ordering and home deliveries.

 In most scenarios, we can agree that the job landscape will change. Our new normal may in fact continue distancing us from a traditional work model through a rise in remote working and online education.  As organizations realize that operations continued despite the regular routine of commuting to and from work, business models will change, but they will still need talented employees. And recruiters will be essential in ensuring that matches can be made, helping to find and place the talent that businesses may not discover.

 As a recruiter, keeping in touch with current clients and planning for future business is imperative. Recruiters, you are in a role to give hope but also to lend your expertise to your clients on both sides of the transaction on what their best next steps may be:

• Candidates in the hiring process still need reassurance and a timeline. We’ve heard of candidate ghosting. The same applies to recruiters. Now more than ever, candidates in contention for a position need to know, one way or the other, what the outcome may be.
• On the other side of the coin, you can help guide employers to keep their options open. Brainstorm with hiring managers on alternative work options for new hires if they start to feel the pressure that they should just clampdown. Revising roles to be part-time, temporary contracts or even a shared position could make fiscal sense and help ensure our workforce doesn’t come to a stand-still.
• Create a daily blast of available opportunities – use text, social media, email and podcasts to keep your network informed of what’s out there. They may not know where to look right now since news is overwhelming and companies are all fighting to be heard on already crowded platforms. You can be an invaluable source of organized and targeted information that your network looks forward to.
• Help candidates evaluate opportunities they would not have applied for. Certain skillsets can be applied across multiple industries especially as new opportunities arise to account for changing work models. Web developers and marketing personnel could be a great resource to educational facilities as they transition to online educational platforms. Creating engaging online content for classwork is not the same as in-person classroom lessons – there are people in the industry who know how to do that well. Also, as many industries move to remote work, additional technical advisors will be essential to an organization to help workers tap into home-base. Help candidates and connect – you may be the one creating opportunity.
• Remember the human side of recruiting – just knowing that someone is looking out for their best interests is an important job all by itself in today’s climate.

It’s hard to tell how our job market will fair during these unprecedented times. But with shutdown mandates, social distancing requirements, business closures, and a volatile economy, feeling connected will be more important than ever. The fundamental base of a recruiter’s job description is to make connections - take this opportunity and do what you do best, and help define a positive narrative.