The impact of Covid-19 on hiring: are we finally seeing some positivity?
There’s no doubt that the UK’s recruitment arena has been hard hit over the course of the pandemic. We’ve seen businesses temporarily shut down and staff put on long-term furlough as lockdown was implemented. As a result, hiring ground to a halt. However, despite the challenges that the world of recruitment has faced, the sector has once again proven that it can be resilient.
Now, I won’t deny that we’re still in it for the long haul and we’ll certainly see peaks and troughs of hiring in the coming months — particularly across regions that are reporting a spike in the virus. However, there are some early signs of positivity.
Data shows hiring on an upward trajectory
For example, research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) revealed that professional vacancies in London increased 14% month-on-month in June, suggesting that the capital’s businesses are slowly starting to re-hire as lock-down measures continue to ease. The data, provided by business intelligence specialist Vacancysoft, also showed that by the end of June the number of professional vacancies being created per day was up 54% when compared to April.
This is of course welcome news, but we are operating in a struggling economy and things are by no means stable yet. If we look at more historical data, for example, while there has been some upward trend in hiring month-on-month, the amount of new jobs being added each day currently sits at just half the numbers that would normally be reported in London, suggesting there is still a long way to go before the capital recovers.
Planning for the future
The world of recruitment has always been a bellwether for wider economic trends, so this increase in business activity for recruitment companies is a positive sign for us all. But they too need support throughout a crisis. As the only trade body to support professional staffing companies, APSCo has taken steps during the pandemic to support its members and ensure they are in the best possible position to really excel post-lock-down.
From providing HR, legal and training support, to keeping business owners up to speed with the latest government announcements and what they mean for companies, APSCo has certainly done everything it can to go above and beyond for the staffing firms it supports. But as we move into the new normal, attentions across the profession are certainly firmly focused on growth.
That’s why the trade body launched AdvisorLink — a service which gives its members access to reference-checked and quality assured business advisors, NEDs and executive coaches to help them grow their company and deliver more support to the UK’s employers. And with more people branching out on their own and starting a business as necessity dictates, APSCo has also pulled together a wealth of resources to help new staffing companies which have been operating for 18 months or less. Through LaunchPad, these businesses will have access to a full programme of support including training, mentoring, expert advice and a full toolkit with resources, templates and model documents covering everything from writing a business plan to building a tech stack, accessing finance and ensuring that a company is legally compliant.
Supporting staffing companies to support the UK
Now more than ever, businesses across the country need the support of professional staffing companies. With unemployment levels up, employers will face an increasing number of applications for almost every job advertised. That’s where the skills and expertise of staffing businesses will come to the fore. And while these firms are busy sourcing the right people to help organisations grow post-Covid, APSCo will continue to support these recruitment companies in an uncertain and volatile market.
