COVID-19 impacts every industry, the staffing industry included. With the right moves, staffing companies can offer innovative solutions to help other businesses get through these challenging times.
How COVID-19 is Impacting Staffing
For many companies, hiring is on pause while business slows down in situations where face-to-face contact is a big part of work, such as travel, restaurants, and retail.
These companies have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are more likely to lay people off than to need staffing services.
However, at the same time, other industries are in dire need of more people, and fast. Healthcare, particularly, is seeing a significant need for more people who are ready and willing to work.
Grocery-related businesses, warehousing and shipping, and delivery services also need a steady, reliable workforce, now more than ever.
Now is a good time for the staffing industry to diversify efforts. If you have previously focused on hospitality, for example, consider branching out into areas like healthcare.
It is also an excellent time to focus on remote, online-based staffing and recruitment tools and techniques.
This keeps social distancing practices in place and also makes staffing more efficient and productive, so you can place more talent with the right company.
In the era of COVID-19, when workers are needed they are needed right away, and a sound staffing system will ensure you’re able to meet your clients’ needs quickly, setting you apart from competitors who are still manually handling placements.
Preparing for a Post-COVID-19 World
The shift toward remote and virtual technology is not likely to go away, even after a reduction in the impacts of COVID-19.
Staffing and recruiting software is beneficial all of the time, not just through a pandemic.
More companies in the staffing industry are likely to realize this after dealing with COVID-19 and its fallout.
As the pandemic stretches on and we move toward the new normal, all aspects of recruiting and placement may well become virtual, permanently.
The staffing industry may also find itself re-learning how to recruit and place candidates for remote work and work from home positions.
Companies all across the spectrum of industries have been forced to use remote work.
While doing so may have been challenging, many businesses will be seeing its benefits. Advantages of using remote working include lower overhead costs, greater flexibility, and more engagement.
While some positions, like healthcare and hospitality, will likely always involve face-to-face work, others are likely to shift to a model that uses remote and virtual work for good.
That means that on-boarding and retention become virtual too, with staffing companies introducing and settling talent online.
If you’re used to video interviewing, get ready for virtual office tours, online mentorships, and Zoom welcome parties!
We are here to help you manage the changes to the staffing industry, now and post-pandemic. Get in touch with any questions and we will be glad to help.