Recruitment in July: The highs, The Lows

8/4/2020

July Graphics

As we begin to settle into post-pandemic normality, what challenges have we seen in the recruitment industry? 

Here at Leo, we have sorted amongst July’s the good, the bad and the ugly so you do not have to.

July: Industry Trends and Impacts 

First, let’s begin by discussing the current state of the marketplace as a whole. It has been widely acknowledged that travel, accommodation and hospitality sectors have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. Albeit UK airlines began restarting flights in July, many destinations have restricted access to visitors, continuing their financial struggle. 

The unemployment rate stands at 11.1%.

Fortunately, Broadbean Technology recently revealed a 7% increase in job postings in July as opposed to June and a 53% increase within construction services. However, the leading industries are as follows: 

  1. DIY and Garden Supplies

  2. Supermarkets

  3. Fitness and Cooking

  4. Entertainment and Gaming

Using Tech to Bring People Back to Work

Over July, many Tech Vendors were developing technology so staff could begin to safely return to work without contracting COVID-19. Here are some of our favourites:

  • Phenom Essentials recently released the ‘H.R. Resiliency Playbook’ to aid the virtual hiring process through a mixture of chatbots, assessments, messaging, and websites.

  • ‘Modern Hire’ and ‘Sonru’ finalise their partnership in July to bring recruiters the very best in automated video interviewing technology.

  • Online college drop board, ‘Hand Shake’, has created a virtual career fair feature with built-in video tools.

A Rise in Employee Burnout 

Monster, a global employment solution company, conducted a survey in July and has since revealed that 69% of employees have or are currently experiencing burnout since working from home. 59% said they were taking less time off work and 42% they are not planning to use vacation allowances.

It’s important to factor in that different generations are struggling with remote working more than others. 85% of all baby boomers surveyed said they were satisfied with plans to return to work, whereas only 62% of Gen Z employees were happy to stop working from home.

Webcam Interviews: How to listen

Although virtual interviews were implemented prior to COVID-19, needless to say, there has been a quick increase since and many employers are struggling however to adapt. To maintain your confident bravado and brand, train yourself up with a successful approach. Remember, this is new to the candidate and not to you; if they can tell you're a rookie, then they may lose trust in the process and your brand.

We have reflected on key recruitment insights from July as we begin our venture into August. The future for recruitment remains to be seen, though we highly recommend playing it by ear.

From all the Leo, thank you for reading!