The Shock of Covid-19 on Businesses & Hiring!
The Shock of Covid-19 on Businesses & Hiring
Entering the year of 2020, the last thing we all expected was a global pandemic on our hands. Lots of us underestimated the massive effect that coronavirus would have on ourselves and businesses, and some of us refused to believe it would cause global carnage!
Societal impact
In society, we are more open than ever. We rely heavily on the importation of food and resources (global trade), and free movement of people around the world. People are travelling further, and more often due to the accessibility of cheap flights, cheap stay aways and flexible working. The openness of the UK and global trade has helped lift multiple countries around the world out of poverty and has helped produce economies that are well developed & more functionable.
The outbreak of Covid-19 lead a huge amount of disruption in most industries & many businesses suffered short term challenges such as new health and safety policies, short term closures, cash flow problems & staff shortages. Even the businesses that successfully managed these challenges, were left exposed to collapse at any moment. Emerging from the other side of the pandemic may have been a sigh of relief for a lot of people, for businesses however, they have emerged into a very different world to the one they were in before the pandemic.
Online businesses have seen a massive increase in sales & growth due to many physical stores being temporarily closed and people’s growing concerns with going out and mixing with others, especially the vulnerable. However, staff shortages of factory workers, couriers & the mail service has produced some issues for online businesses that rely purely on home delivery to be able to provide a product for their customers.
People adapted quickly to government’s restraints & the access to digital technology has helped massively, allowing people to stay connected, manage their school/college/uni work online, continue working, keep in touch with friends & family and take their shopping habits online.
Working from home
A huge number of businesses have decided to have their employees work from home, with some continuing it now. There are various benefits to employees from working from home, such as employee productivity, employees having no commute & therefore, less stress with traffic and train delays.
From a recruiter's perspective:
From a recruiter's perspective, it is a massive benefit when clients approach us with jobs that allow remote working or jobs that include hybrid working. The reason for this is that a lot of candidates are looking for either fully remote working, or the flexibility of hybrid working! A shortage of candidates, and an abundance of jobs, is giving candidates the perfect opportunity to negotiate on what they want from a role.
But what benefits does remote working have on the business?
- Saving money – the same job is being done, but you aren’t paying for office space!
- You may have more productive & motivated employees. When people aren’t waking up early to commute to work & getting home late after getting stuck in traffic or train delays, they can be more productive and happier in their work (depending on the individual).
- Working from home can help employees maintain a better work-life balance. This can reduce the chance of burnout amongst staff & help productivity.
- Fewer sick days – employees are more likely to manage their sickness better when working from home regularly. It also prevents the passing of germs and illnesses to colleagues. Working from home means they can take a break when needed if they are well enough to continue working, helping them appropriately manage their sickness.
In conclusion, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone in so many ways. If you’re struggling with recruitment; offering either a hybrid working opportunity, or a fully remote opportunity might be a game changer for your business!