How To Keep Your Recruitment Agency Running During A Coronavirus Outbreak
How to Keep Your Recruitment Agency Running During a Coronavirus Outbreak
The spread of COVID-19 has already had significant impacts on the global economy – but this is only the beginning. Many businesses, having to scale back operations, are wondering how and if they’ll recover. The recruitment industry is facing particular challenges during this time, as face-to-face interviews are no longer possible with social distancing measures. Additionally, fewer candidates are applying for jobs. Applications have decreased by 19 percent in January as compared to January 2019; there was a 47 percent dip in February compared to February 2019.
Despite these limitations, recruitment agencies can stay up and running. Like all businesses, your recruitment company should have a business continuity plan to shape your response to exceptional circumstances like the coronavirus outbreak. A good plan should minimize the impact of the pandemic on your staff and IT infrastructure. It should also protect your corporate reputation, reduce financial impact, and enable your agency to return to normal again as soon as possible.
What Steps Can You Take to Keep Your Recruiting Agency Running?
Along with implementing your business continuity plan, there are actionable steps recruitment agencies can take to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. These are:
1) Organize, manage, and help your employees
2) Stay connected
3) Continue daily tasks
4) Utilize the cloud to share and access files
5) Reimagine how you work and manage risk
Organize, Manage, and Help Your Employees
The coronavirus outbreak has popularised the already growing trend of remote working. Although social distancing has pushed many companies to implement teleworking, the demand was there before – and it’s projected to grow by 30 percent by 2030.
Remote working, however, poses problems for the recruitment industry. For professionals that rely on in-person interviews and travel, homebound work might seem to limit. But this pandemic presents recruiters with more opportunities than they realize. Candidates who were previously unavailable for interviews are now at home, ready to take your video conference call.
As a company, you’ll have to give your recruiters the right infrastructure to work remotely. If they’re accustomed to business travel, then they probably already have secure company devices to work from. If not, apps such as LogMeIn and TeamViewer can facilitate secure remote access. You’ll also want to ensure your recruitment staff has the proper bandwidth on their home networks to conduct normal operations. Some companies sell WiFi hotspots to businesses that could meet this need.
Stay Connected
One of the most important ways to carry on operations for any business is keeping employees connected and updated. And as a recruiting agency, you want your recruiters to stay connected to your clients and prospective candidates. Internal channels and chat groups are great ways to keep your team up to date, as well as to facilitate productivity while everyone’s working remotely.
You can also leverage messaging apps when communicating with job candidates. Nobody likes the uncertainty that comes with the hiring process – that state of limbo is 10 times worse during a crisis. Right now it’s essential to close the information loop with prospective hires, so they aren’t left with even more ambiguity than they already have.
Free messaging apps like WhatsApp help you stay connected, as well as video conferencing software like Zoom. During a crisis, it’s also wise to consider using an emergency mass notification system for your agency. With software like Crises Control or Desk Alerts, you can configure crucial updates that are sent out to your team.
Continue Daily Tasks
Another important factor for business continuity is completing the same work you normally would, as closely as you can manage. Most recruiters and headhunters can do their jobs remotely, thanks to video conferencing software and other digital tools. Ensure your staff can still do their jobs effectively by setting them up with the right apps and programs. If you’re a larger recruiting agency, you might require staff to access your network to retrieve files. With services like Remote Desktop Services and Citrix Workspace, employees can easily access the company’s network remotely.
If you want your employees to continue their tasks as effectively as possible, you’ll also have to allow for more flexible schedules. Working from home can present difficulties for some staff members, who now have to balance their home and professional life much more delicately. When handling care for children or family members, who are also stuck at home, standard work schedules might not be possible. While you should provide for and encourage your recruiting staff to complete the same daily tasks, you should expect and allow different working hours.
Utilize the Cloud to Share and Access Files
Migrating to the cloud is one of the best ways to digitally transform your recruitment agency’s IT. Many cloud solutions are available, whether you need storage, management, or computing. By saving your files and even running your IT network in the cloud, you can eliminate the need for physical servers in your office space. You can also choose from among several subscription-based plans with cloud services, paying for only the features you need.
For teams that have recently become remote as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, cloud services are the most logical option for keeping up productivity. Popular choices for businesses include Dropbox, OneDrive, and G Suite to store and manage files. If your recruiting agency uses Microsoft Office products, you can continue to do so with the web-based Office 365. If you need to send large files to a team member, you can also use secure transfer apps like WeTransfer.
Reimagine How You Work and Manage Risks
During a crisis, one of the most important things you can do for your business continuity is reducing risks and vulnerabilities. Being forced to adapt your operations quickly and for a seemingly indefinite period might draw your attention away from crucial risk management procedures.
One such measure is moving critical functions like your customer relationship management system, accounting, and vital data to the cloud. With essential operations secure and remotely accessible, you can focus more on the day-to-day running of your recruitment agency during the coronavirus outbreak. Now is also a good time to review your insurance policies concerning events and business trips. If you’re planning a hiring event or your recruiters normally travel a great deal for meeting with clients, these will be canceled – or possibly become virtual, in the case of the hiring event. Check that financially with these changes of plans. Services like International SOS and WorldAware can help you manage your business travelers.
Wrapping Up – Check Your Business Continuity Plan
With these five actionable steps, you’re already on your way to a functioning, crisis-mode recruitment company. But carrying out these steps won’t be enough to secure your agency in the long term. For that, you need to review your business continuity plan. If you haven’t updated it in a while and aren’t sure it’ll be relevant during the coronavirus outbreak, you’re not alone.
Fortunately, groups like the London IT support company Amazing Support are providing free audits of business continuity plans. By visiting their website, you can access their free tool, as well as receive their advice for your business continuity. Don’t let the pandemic bring your recruiting agency to a grinding halt. With the right steps and IT resources, you can see your business through this crisis.