Brexit pangs and LinkedIn pledges

October 14th, 2019 | Industry News

Two major recruiting companies have posted results that show the negative impact of Brexit uncertainty on recruitment in the UK. Applicant tracking system UK wide information shows that many firms have put hiring on hold. The supposed deadline 31 October, bad as it was for UK recruiters, may not even end the confusion as the Benn Act requires the Prime Minister to ask for a further delay by 19 October if a deal isn’t achieved at the summit on 17 October. That would mean pushing the deadline back to 31 January 2020… and more misgivings for UK recruiters. With profit declines being reported by big recruiters, online recruitment software needs to contend with a hiring market that is unpredictable, cautious and prone to reversing decisions based on current events. Recruitment agency software has to move fast to align a largely static recruitment pool with the wavering positions being taken by many businesses. The ripples spread far from the UK, with companies from Brazil to Uruguay to Portugal refocusing their energy from the UK as a potential market to more predictable new territories. As a result, web-based recruitment software has the edge, as it permits recruiters to find the widest possible circles of talent, and to craft opportunities that appeal to candidates who might have subtle reasons to seek work in the UK.

LinkedIn’s annual Talent Connect conference is being linked to a new initiative called the Plus One Pledge, seeking to boost inclusion and diversity. LinkedIn research shows that 70% of professionals will get their next job at a company where they already have a connection. This is a natural and obvious form of talent acquisition, and the best recruitment CRM takes account of it. But statistics show that inequalities in hiring can hold people back – and hold businesses back too.

• If you are recommended for a job by a current employee, you’re nine times more likely to get that job
• Living in a high-income postcode mean you’re three times more likely to have a strong professional network.

The Plus One Pledge asks people to reach outside their circle to help somebody who doesn’t necessarily have their own network – for example minority candidates, returners to work, or people who are in other ways less likely to be able to call upon network ‘pull’ to get their next job. Recruiting software can help even out these inconsistencies, but a pledge certainly wouldn’t do any harm!