Coronavirus – recruiting and retention

May 13th, 2020 | Industry News

So much is up in the air for businesses in the UK, and few businesses have been as impacted as the recruiting industry. Even the best recruiting software cannot answer some of the questions being posed by, and to, the recruitment sector. Such as those about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). This scheme, which looked like a solution for much of the temporary employment sector, is still confusing many recruiters. Promised by the government, it cannot come soon enough for the UK’s temporary worker sector. It’s not clear whether holiday pay can be included in that 80% salary sum that can be claimed back from the government pot. This means that many recruiters are expecting to cover that payroll cost (12.7%) themselves. Others believe that they can include holiday pay in the 80% and that they will be refunded by HMRC. The confusion comes because furlough allows employers to ask their employees to vary holiday entitlement, but as there is a statutory 5.6 weeks paid leave, this must presumably be covered – whether by the employer or HMRC.

And while many areas of the economy are stalled, some are booming. Distribution, warehousing and delivery, along with healthcare, are all scrambling for workers. Online recruitment software has been a boon to many temporary agencies and employers seeking to fill vacancies in a hurry. But there are still issues with temporary recruitment. Onboarding has been a real issue – partly because Coronavirus has given HR personnel too much to do, without adding induction and training for new employees to their list, and partly because social distancing restrictions make normal induction processes impossible. The best recruitment software for agencies also helps with these processes, because it handles much of the recruitment administration, allowing organisations to put their in-demand resources into getting their new personnel into their roles quickly and effectively.

Technology is another boom area, with so much of the world becoming entirely online, but in the USA 83% of HR personnel say they struggle to recruit just the right people, so working with the right recruiting partner is essential to delivering potential candidates to them. Recruitment database software that has strong social media channeling elements is the answer, as it gives recruiters access to the portfolios of many passive candidates, especially those still in college or university, who can be brought through the recruitment pipeline at just the right time to fit themselves into the corporate culture.