There is a shining light at the end of the tunnel…but what will the recruitment market look like as we claw our way out of this and how do candidates best equip themselves?
Our phones at Troika Towers are definitely starting to ring again and thankfully with positive news this time. Just like everyone else, March/April 2020 tested us in ways we couldn’t have imagined with jobs being pulled one by one and offers withdrawn and retracted – not an easy time for anyone!
Growth strategies were quickly switched to ones of survival, exec teams (CFOs/FDs) had their work cut out modelling and re-modelling financial forecasts, businesses were having frantic conversations with landlords whilst every cost line in a business was being scrutinised.
Not only were we all faced with a situation we had never faced before, but we also had no idea where and when it would end and I certainly don’t think any of us thought we’d still be sitting at home a year later. Who would have thought that the March 2020 St Patrick’s Day charity fundraiser at Kings Place would be the last major industry gathering we attended? At least we went out in style!
Spending plenty of time each day on LinkedIn as I do, it’s heartening to see how many people have managed to find new roles during Covid. Sadly for hospitality, many have found work in other industries which means we may lose these skills from our sector forever. Our hope is that as we rebuild our fabulous industry again, the pull of hospitality will be too strong for these amazing service professionals and they will return, bringing their talent and skills back.
We are well aware that many companies had to trim their structures down, often to the very barest of bones and indeed to such an extent that reopening now will present its own manpower challenges. Whilst I’m sure that many companies have an impressive pot of furloughed talent to re-activate, we also know that the combination of Covid and Brexit has seen many people leaving the UK for good.
It will be interesting to see how the industry redresses that balance as we look to put back in the roles that inevitably needed to be ‘mothballed’ for a year and encounter the task of re-engaging a static workforce to operate at the same capacity as before.
We’ve seen a notable trend through lockdown where businesses have had to increase skill set and capability level across their support functions. This continues and the roles we’re being asked to recruit at the moment are often in these disciplines; marketing, finance, property, etc.
It may well be that there will also be a number of interim roles available too as companies look to ‘get by’ in the short term before being able to commit to a full permanent restructure.
In the current digital world there are a huge number of platforms that companies and recruiters can use to attract talent and I’m often asked what a candidate can do to stand out especially as the market is going to be even more competitive for talent than ever.
Firstly, it’s all too easy these days with a couple of clicks to submit a CV for a role but lazy applying tends to stick out especially if your CV really doesn’t bear any resemblance to the brief asked for. Take the time to think about the role you are applying for and introduce yourself – if it’s not obvious from your CV then point out where your skills are for the role – good companies/recruiters will respect that commitment and will give you feedback.
In new Covid times there will be many people with gaps on their CVs or CVs just petering out at some point in 2020. Whilst the reasons are going to be pretty obvious as to why you are not in gainful employment, if you have spent your Covid year out of work but have been volunteering or retraining / learning a new skill, then make sure to include it as we all have a Covid story and need to be prepared to be asked for our version.
Certainly, if you can find the positives in the last year; learning new languages, hobbies or long overdue DIY, fitness etc, even just spending quality time with the kids, these will trump the negatives and lead to a more positive frame of mind and a more upbeat profile for potential employers, no matter what it was that you did!
Use all the channels available to you – LinkedIn is great for content and if you like and share articles your profile will start to gain traction. Build your network, be proactive and introduce yourself to others on LinkedIn. Where possible have your references ready. Chat to those who know you best and see if they can help with a written introduction or a testimonial.
Many people have had to ‘reset’ their finances and there’s much written about whether the COVID adjusted 80% of salary that so many have needed to accept becomes the new norm. I think it’s too early to say, one thing is for sure, there is incredible pent up demand for hospitality and if, like me, you’ve been trying to book restaurants post April 12th then it’s fair to say we are in for a very quick return to eating and drinking in restaurants & bars! Clearly some sectors will unfortunately take longer to come back such as events, foodservice etc. so I think the salary conversations will follow suit.
As the market starts to repair, networking assumes greater importance so that you can be front and centre in people’s minds. The Food Service Circle is a great platform for this and there is so much goodwill built up over the last year amongst competing businesses that I can see that sharing of help, advice, job roles continuing long into rebuild.
If you would like to chat about your options please feel free to reach out to me on suzie.boyd@troikarecruitment.co.uk