Impact and output – COVID-19 and recruiting

October 22nd, 2020 | Industry News

A recent survey from the USA suggests that optimism is growing in the recruitment sector, despite the difficulties of COVID-19. 800 people responded, worldwide. The great news is that nearly a third of organisations are doing as well or better than they were a year ago, but the bad news is that 28% say their income has dropped, by as much as 30%. Unsurprisingly, nearly half of those experiencing this level of difficulty are hospitality and travel based. It’s also evident that temp agencies have risen with the tide, whilst those agencies specialising in headhunting and permanent recruitment have found it harder to maintain position. Recruitment management software has helped agencies in two ways: first it has given opportunities to conduct the recruitment process online from initial contact through to onboarding. Second, it has allowed agencies to automate many administrative stages, giving recruiters more chance to use their time effectively in meetings, interviews and maintaining contact with clients and candidates.

Remote application processes are just one of the benefits that SAAS recruitment agencies have experienced during the pandemic. Some agencies have registered more than half their permanent candidates virtually and several have established complete virtual recruitment, from registering for a position through to being taken through initial induction and onboarding. What is less well recognised is the value of recruitment agency software to temporary staffing agencies, many of whom have experienced surges in demand such as: packing and warehousing, nursing and healthcare and logistics. All these are more or less predictable, but sectors that have also had massive temporary recruitment peaks demanding a great deal of recruiting software include waste and recycling which has had to manage waste collection as normal, alongside kerbside dumping of huge amounts of ‘rubbish’ resulting from people cleaning out their houses or indulging in DIY as a result of being stuck at home more. Remote registration of temporary employees has become the norm for these agencies, but best recruitment software for agencies has allowed them to undertake everything from virtual interviewing through to payroll activities without either putting consultants at risk or failing to fulfil client requirements.