Since March, the Covid-19 crisis has meant a significant reduction in staffing demands, with demand for both permanent and temporary hires falling during that month for the first time since the global financial crisis of 2008. The UK saw a 15% reduction in job postings from 7th March to 1st April.
Our Cambridge Network Recruitment Gateway mirrored this decline in job postings, as recruiters in member companies were faced with uncertainty. Many of the roles that they were working to fill were being put on hold indefinitely.
Faced with so many unknowns, it was important for us to provide as much assistance as we could. Suddenly a lot of people (including our team) were working from home, balancing work and family life, including home schooling, and trying to get to grips with the technological solutions – Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc. – that would eventually prove to be a lifeline.
Informative webinars hit the mark
Working with our members at this time, we wanted to find a way to keep our recruiters and candidates connected. Initially, we were keen to offer them a platform to share knowledge and experience. So, we planned a series of webinars aimed specifically at people involved in the jobs market – both recruiters and candidates. We asked experts to deliver a variety of workshops covering subjects such as:
- Recruiting via video
- Virtual interviewing
- Remote onboarding.
All of these sessions were recorded and are available to view – with a wealth of other useful material – on Cambridge Network's YouTube channel here.
Whereas these remote activities were already the norm to some, they were very new to many participants. But the webinars were well received and have continued to evolve as businesses become a little more certain about their futures; as candidates learn how to navigate a virtual jobs market and some businesses return to their offices.
Cambridge Network’s first Virtual Jobs Fair is a great success
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It's a win-win for both employer organisations and potential candidates because taking these events online means that we are able reach a broader audience from all over the UK and overseas, reduce costs, save time – and help the planet! (No more time wasted on trains or sitting in Cambridge traffic.)
Many of the recruitment teams within our member companies have also used this time to work on candidate experience, educating themselves on how to recruit remotely, improving their candidate engagement and focusing on employer brand.
Another high for recruiters right now, with many more employers offering remote working, must be the opportunity to reach and employ talent with less location-based restriction.
Although there has undoubtedly been a dip in recruitment, many of our members remain on the lookout for quality candidates. There are still large numbers of opportunities, as evidenced by the number of vacancies advertised on our jobs pages.
Recruiting in 2020 has seen many highs and lows so far. However, we hope that many of the positive elements of how we are working right now will stay, helping organisations recruit from a larger talent pool, build better cultures and improve work- life balances.
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