A leading Manchester recruitment specialist is urging businesses to continue investing in talent, following the announcement from the UK Government with a roadmap out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jon Musgrave, Regional Director of Head Resourcing’s Manchester office, has warned that businesses who fail to focus on talent – whether through training, audits or recruitment – could struggle to survive and successfully emerge from the pandemic.
Jon’s team specialises in matching candidates and clients across permanent and contract roles from junior to senior leadership across a variety of sectors – most notably IT, digital and business change recruitment and advisory.
Over the past year, they have observed a trend across various sectors which has seen recruitment fall by the wayside – perhaps short-sightedly – as other priorities take precedence. Some businesses may remain cautious over the coming months as restrictions lift but Jon predicts as employers look forward, there will be a higher demand for staff.
Jon said: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have pivoted their offering or realigned their plans in response to external forces but amidst this, some have neglected to factor recruitment as a tool to success.
“With so much economic uncertainty and persistent lockdowns, it’s no surprise we’ve witnessed a reluctance among clients to schedule final interviews, with some freezing recruitment until spring 2021. However, for many companies, their people are their most valuable assets and as we prepare to navigate the new roadmap out of lockdown, we would ask the question – can you afford to not hire right now?
“Priorities have changed for many but, for example, if you’ve paused a project on tech security due to reluctance to invest in the right person for the job, it could cost your business more in the long-run if you fall victim to a data breach or hacking.
“Restrictions have been placed on many sectors, limiting trade, but others have thrived this year and we’ve observed an urgency from some clients filling roles and we will always aim to find the right individual for our clients and secure a new role that suits the skills and experience of our candidates.”
Whilst talent recruitment and retention could be the key differentiator between businesses who thrive and survive, and those who succumb to the wrath of the pandemic, companies need to hire with care and not just to boost head count.
He continued: “It is vital that businesses design talent requirements around their ambitions, not just current need. It’s about asking themselves whether they have the right people in the right roles to execute that ambition. It could be that training and development is the answer, or that a recruitment drive is needed to substantiate growth.
“It’s difficult to know what 2021 will bring for recruitment as different sectors are being impacted in various ways because of restrictions – and the easing of these restrictions will dictate the pace of response. For instance, travel and hospitality suffered at the start of the pandemic, but we’re now seeing positive signs as they have a timeline to reopen and begin to hire again.
“We may see attrition peak as staff build up the confidence to leave their current roles after pausing in recent months, and businesses should prepare for the potential availability of new talent for their own pipelines.
“Ultimately, from our perspective the businesses emerging from the pandemic as winners will be those who effectively matched talent to their pivoted business plans. Investment in new talent and existing staff development ensure a company has the capability to stabilise more rapidly – and thrive as a result.”
Let’s talk
If you want to chat further about talent acquisition and sector trends in Manchester and the North West, please get in touch with Jon over here.
The information contained in this press release does not constitute business advice and should not be acted on as such. This content is based on our understanding in March 2021.
.png)