“The recruitment sector has been somewhat disrupted since the beginning of the health crisis. In 2020, all sectors were affected and experienced a slowdown in activity or even a complete halt. Recruitment was inevitably impacted. Companies lacking the necessary budget or insufficient activity were unable to recruit and were sometimes forced to reduce their workforce for cost-saving purposes.
In 2021, activity resumed. Whether partially or fully, business picked up. So did recruitment. Cautiously at first during the first half of the year. By September, intense recovery led companies to simultaneously search for the same skill sets within very tight timelines.
We all had to adapt, bringing greater flexibility while also maintaining closer relationships despite remote working conditions. Today, we must face a changing sector with evolving needs and mentalities. This is precisely why our recruitment processes require more touchpoints throughout the mission and even greater commitment. Ongoing follow-up is essential to see a mission through to completion, highlighting the importance of constant communication and providing constructive feedback to both clients and candidates.
In recent months, we’ve noticed that candidates are less receptive to professional opportunities. Those who are interested make decisions very quickly.
Our clients therefore have fewer choices and must be ultra-responsive. They also need to demonstrate greater flexibility in work organization and more transparency in their business strategy.
The question of talent engagement and retention is at the heart of most companies’ concerns right now. How do we remain attractive with these new working methods linked to the crisis? Today, it’s important to re-engage your teams and implement a genuine employee experience, whether working remotely or on-site. This is achieved primarily through internal communication tools. We must succeed in showing our employees that the world of work is changing, but that we are managing to adapt. Through more engaging communication tools, it’s entirely possible to enhance the office or remote work experience for our talent.
Beyond effective internal communication, it’s equally important to revisit your HR strategy by revamping recruitment processes to engage and retain future talent more quickly, while identifying appropriate training for each employee. This requires honest communication that remains true to your employer brand values from all company stakeholders.
In summary, HR strategy—whether focused on today’s talent or future talent—must often be rethought in light of the new context and should become a priority in a company’s broader growth strategy. Today, whether we are employers, employees, or candidates, we must demonstrate greater attentiveness to one another to achieve a new equilibrium.”
Leslie Sanier, co-founder of Shefferd recruitment firm