The topic that launched a thousand blogs.

How will recruitment change post-covid?

A lot of gloomy predictions. And some overly dramatic ones.

So here is mine. Not ‘post-covid’, because when is that going to be? But certainly 2021

It is happening already, and when it hits your market, you will be unprepared, unless you act, now.

This year we will see a disturbing rise in candidates accepting counter-offers. They will ghost recruiters and employers alike, accept multiple offers simultaneously, not turn up on the start date, inexplicably ‘go silent’ in the middle of a job search collaboration, only to re-appear as if nothing was amiss.

The labour market has been fragmented. In some cases, people see a huge career opportunity, and are just desperate for a secure role in others. And don’t underestimate the resentment many candidates feel about how some recruiters treated them when the Covid-shit-hit-the-fan.

Employers who have ‘over-pruned the tree’ in the downturn will return to the market in a hiring frenzy. FOMO will run rampant on both sides.

Where the recovery had started, it is back to massive candidate shortages already, and all the issues that triggers.

So, my biggest advice?

Don’t make any assumptions.

Ask in every conversation “has anything changed?”

Zoom or not, get CLOSER to candidates than ever before. Ask qualifying questions. Pose scenarios. Pre-close your candidates, every step of the way. Uncover the REAL reason and motivation for the job move. I promise you it’s rarely the first answer given.

Qualify your job orders to the nth degree. Sell exclusivity on your job orders. Triage your work like never before.

Never in the history of recruitment have your questioning, listening and influencing skills been as critical as right now.

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