COVID-19 is having a drastic impact on the UK, especially within the business sector. 

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced unprecedented peacetime measures, asking people to avoid social contact and work from home where possible. Many companies and organisations have already started to put plans in place to protect their workforce, to alleviate disruption as much as possible. 

Although we all want to halt the spread of COVID-19, there is also a need to find ways to keep plans and processes ticking over so that business doesn’t come to a complete stop.

Is the talent still there?

Many businesses, who have the capability, have started to ask their employees to work from home, and visits to business sites are being limited. However, many headhunters have admitted that it’s now easier to contact candidates as they are no longer in meetings or travelling.

If you’re a UK business owner, you may be thinking that you need to cancel interviews or postpone advertising a role. Well, don’t let COVID-19 stop you! There are still candidates eager to press on with their careers, and there are still people out there hungry to work for your brand or company.

How can you keep talent engaged during COVID-19?

We live in a world where technology is at the forefront of much of what we do, and there has never been a time where it has been more important than now. 

There are online solutions to physical, offline world problems, such as:

• Facilitating video interview
• Advertising roles online and keeping applicants informed that the process may take a little longer than usual.
• Offering online testing to shortlist candidates ready for physical interviews when you’re ready.
• Keeping in touch with candidates who have been offered roles but where start dates may be postponed.
• Providing virtual tours of your premises to give candidates a sense of familiarity to either accept a role with a postponed start date or apply for a role within your organisation.

It’s also worth remembering that we need to advise candidates to be patient. Although online job interviews and the above can help speed up the hiring process, there will still be delays as businesses come up with plans and deal with COVID-19 related problems. We’re in uncharted territory and we are all doing the best we possibly can.

We need to keep in mind that recruitment problems today, will still be recruitment problems tomorrow. Maintaining relationships with your recruiter to keep the talent you need engaged with your process is key! Don’t let the candidates that are right for your company disappear.

Video interviews, telephone screening and online testing are just some of the ways we can support your recruitment needs during this challenging time. Get in touch today to see how we can help!