Do you think that much will change in the future of recruitment?
Let’s all be real for a second, nobody likes change!
People constantly turn their noses up at the idea that they might have to change the way they work.
People like consistency and security…
People like things to stay the way they are…
Even though deep down we all know… Businesses that fail to adapt are the ones that get left behind.
Well… Why am I bringing this up?
One word:
The Pandemic….. Oh, wait… That’s two
With the dramatic shift in the recruitment industry caused by the pandemic, I honestly believe that ‘NOW’S THE TIME’ that we’re going to see a big shift in the way that recruitment companies work.
and…
Those that don’t adapt, will be the ones that are left behind.
Gone are the days of large sales floors full of consultants in suits and ties hammering the phone to within an inch of its life.
I believe we’re stepping into a new world of work fueled by the change in circumstances that the pandemic has created.
Recruitment will become an industry where consultants are spread all over the country, utilising the powers of video chat as their main channel of team communication.
The pandemic has taught us that we’re capable of working remotely, we’ve been forced into a position where we’ve had to make it work and have proven to ourselves that it’s possible.
Which makes it very hard to argue that people need to be in the office for a full working week.
I mean who wants to be squashed on the tube with their face in a sweaty armpit if we can make things work remotely?
So I think you can see where I’m taking this…
In my mind recruitment agencies are now going to have to transition to a more remote working way of life, if they are going to thrive in this new world.
Do we need the face to face interaction?
Definitely
Do we need it for 5 days a week?
I’d argue not.
I believe that the best recruitment agencies moving forward will be the ones that can find a way to give their consultants autonomy by allowing them to work from home for 75% of the week with the option to meet in an office for 25% of the week.
There will be some things that require face to face communication but I think that the majority of it can be done from home and no doubt you will start to get agencies that will accommodate this.
So, recruitment agencies that do force their staff to come back into the office 5 days a week, might find their consultants blankly staring out the window at flexible recruitment agencies thinking:
“Hmmmmm the grass sure does look greener on the other side”
Well…
It’s all well and good me saying that things need to change but the missing puzzle piece is: ‘HOW’ do we make it happen?
I think that the answer to this problem is super simple: “hire the right people”.
Ironic… Especially as we’re talking about recruitment agencies.
Agencies need to make it a priority to hire self-motivated, trustworthy, honest and hard-working individuals.
If you’ve hired individuals that possess these traits then surely there’s no issue in letting them work from home. Hire smart people and give them the autonomy to be successful.
If you’ve built a team of self-motivated individuals then the job becomes simply to provide support and training.
Hire the right people, give them the support/training and let them do their job.
If someone does slips through the cracks and you find out after hiring them that they’re not self-motivated then again…. the answer is simple:
You let them go.
I know this isn’t exactly groundbreaking advice but to me, it couldn’t be simpler.
If you’ve got a team that you can trust, that has respect for you and believes in your company then they’re going to give it their all to ensure that they achieve individual success and that the company gains from their output to.
More than ever we’re starting to see a shift to remote working.
The future looks like it’s getting increasingly more remote and to me, it feels like the recruitment agencies that can adapt to this remote world by giving people autonomy will be the ones that thrive when the market starts to return to normal.
Start adapting for the future of recruitment today by building a remote recruitment agency.
