How will recruitment change after 2020 and COVID-19?

The hiring landscape is notorious for being susceptible to change and Covid-19 initiated one of the most significant shake-ups the sector has seen, bringing with it a great deal of uncertainty about where recruitment is headed and what is around the corner. Here’s a look at what’s expected to change within recruitment after 2020 and how Covid-19 may have remoulded the hiring process permanently. 

Unsurprisingly, there were countless life sciences jobs that were key to helping fight against Covid-19 and other industries that have fared particularly well include ICT, banking and logistics. This doesn’t mean to say recruiters working in these industries haven’t faced unique challenges. In every sector, there have been restrictions around meeting candidates face-to-face and they’ve inspired hiring teams to redesign the hiring process and in doing so revolutionise recruitment.

In the earlier months of Covid-19, 86% of companies revealed they’d integrated new video interviewing technology into their recruitment process. Though many of these firms may have already had virtual interviewing projects in the pipeline, social distancing was the necessary push for companies to adopt the new technology. And with a long list of benefits, such as reduced time-to-hire, reduced costs and increased accessibility, who’s to say that video interviewing isn’t here to stay?

For those who prefer face-to-face meetings and find this essential to make a connection, they can put their fears aside. While video does trump in-person interviews in many ways, organisations recognise that technology has its limits and a hybrid model – combining virtual and in-person meetings – is a more realistic case beyond 2020.

Automated recruitment became plausible in the late 1990s and since then the rate of adoption of AI tools and integration of machine learning has shown no sign of slowing. Covid-19 has accelerated this transformation and reminded businesses that when it comes to technology, they cannot afford to fall behind the competition. One major reason for this is that technology facilitates collaboration between teams and adding more tools to the HR tech stack has demonstrated the possibility of more cost-effective workflows. The integration of collaboration tools is known as unified communications and not only is it improving collaboration within recruitment teams but it can also break down departmental silos and in turn improve the candidate experience.

In the world of big data, around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated every 24 hours – that’s almost as many bytes as there are stars in the observable universe. In the past, scores of data have been generated in the recruitment process but this source has remained largely untapped. Since the shift to virtual hiring, there’s been a clearer digital trail for each candidate and the data created is providing an insight into the candidate journey. With 78% of HR professionals agreeing that data will drive business growth, this signals that data-driven recruitment is the future. 

As the dust begins to settle, it’s clear that the focus shouldn’t be on how recruitment will recover from Covid-19, but how it will be revolutionised. And while many sectors struggle to overcome the challenges of Covid-19, a more hopeful picture is painted for recruitment within life sciences, manufacturing and ICT – in particular, cyber security and data science. Beyond 2020 we may see recruiters redeployed to the sectors where there is the demand– just as we saw with airline employees and other professionals facing adversity in the wake of Covid-19.

In a time where the world is pulling together, we want to make sure every person gets the support they need. Our consultants are experts in their field, so whether you’re searching for your next job in ICT, renewable energy or life sciences or want to hear our industry insights we’re here to help. Submit your CV or submit a vacancy to kick-start the process, and a member of the Quanta team will be in touch.