Blog

COVID-19 has changed the working world beyond all recognition. Just last year, we were recruiting for jobs in Basingstoke in a candidate-led market, where applicants were spoilt for choice and employers had to fight to pin down the best talent.

Fast forward to summer 2020, and the tide has certainly turned…

Businesses whose profits have been annihilated by the impact of the coronavirus lockdown have had to make staff cuts, or possibly close their doors altogether. That includes the obvious victims in retail, hair and beauty, the arts, entertainment, leisure, and hospitality – but also any business who is part of that supply chain.

The resulting unemployment has sent hundreds of people out into the job market.

Job seekers swamping your inbox?

A recent labour market overview from The Office for National Statistics looked at a variety of employment-related statistics for the UK and reported that:

“Vacancies in the UK in April to June 2020 are at the lowest level since the Vacancy Survey began in April to June 2001, at an estimated 333,000; this is 23% lower than the previous record low in April to June 2009.”

However, let’s remember that the pandemic has not been bad for every business. Sectors such as pharmaceutical, healthcare, logistics, grocery, eCommerce, and virtual technologies have seen consumer demand skyrocket – and they DO need to recruit new faces to help make the most of that.

If you work in a sector that has been positively impacted by the new way of life in 2020 – and you’ve been advertising  for new talent, chances are your inbox is buckling under the weight of applications from those looking for work and you might be feeling overwhelmed.

Average application to job ratio has doubled since January

Our friends at CV Library tell us that application rates have been soaring. In January, each job received 15 applications on average. They’ve seen this double to a current average of over 30. The average application to job ratio for administration jobs is as high as 87.

Other industries with current high applications per vacancy include customer services (73 applications per job), distribution (52), accounting (40) and marketing (40).

Can’t keep up with your recruitment?

If you’re the hiring manager in a business that needs more staff, and fast, you are most likely feeling up against the clock and under pressure. For those with additional HR responsibilities, you may have less time for recruitment than usual because you’re supporting or managing furloughs and the implementations of workplace safety measures.

Outsourcing your recruitment to an agency like Wote Street People in Basingstoke will give you the hiring support you need, freeing up your time – along with a few other benefits:

• Cost savings – job boards and head-hunters are expensive, your time spent sifting through an onslaught of applications is costly, and rushed hiring might mean poor staff retention in the long run (and yet more cost to re-hire)
• Reduced application-to-start date timeframe – when managed ineffectively, interviews drag on and good candidates get taken by competitors. Outsourced recruitment helps you secure exactly who you need, when you need them most
• Better candidates – our years of recruitment expertise, coupled with screening and profiling processes means you’ll not only get someone with the right skills, but the right personality fit for your organisation as well

A helping hand (with a giant network)

Wote Street People is small but mighty. Our independence means we have more control over the time we set to explore candidate options. We will graft until we find you the best talent rather than sending you who fits the bill on paper in a set period.

We have access to 450 recruitment agencies across the UK. If your industry has a shortage of skilled candidates, it enables us to investigate our TEAM network to find people who fit your criteria and culture, living in other parts of the UK and who are happy to relocate to Hampshire.

Although we can tap into other TEAM agencies that specialise in your field, but you’ll only have to deal with one agency – us – and that saves you substantial time, energy and offers a more flexible approach to recruitment.

Come up for air from beneath all those job applications and call us today so that we can help you find the right person for the job. Call 01256 799127 or email maxine@wotestreetpeople.co.uk