How are talent acquisition agencies responding to COVID-19

It’s fair to say that every single industry has been affected in one way or the other by the COVID-19 crisis. And Talent acquisition agencies are not the exception. However, you must have in mind that your talent acquisition process should never come to a complete halt even during a hiring freeze.

This is still true even if you are experiencing some difficulties. Imagine some prospective candidates may find themselves on your website, simply fall in love with your business, and want to work with you, but you’re not hiring at that time. What now? 

In the next article of Talent2Win, we will explain you how the big companies and talent acquisition agencies are dealing with COVID-19 regarding their recruitment and hiring processes. 

It’s important to maintain your talent pipeline because talent acquisition is an ongoing process (even if your business is not currently hiring). 

 What has changed for Talent Acquisition? 

When it comes to talent acquisition agencies, the biggest change has been an acceleration of what was already in motion. The pandemic has pushed recruitment services, headhunters, and talent acquisition consulting companies into entirely digital systems. These services have taken control of digital trends such as big data, artificial intelligence, and video interviews and are using them to their advantage.  

There has also been an increasing trend in the involvement of existing employees taking a more active role in talent acquisition within companies. From taking a more active role in company branding by writing testimonials about working in the company, to actively bringing potential candidates in with the incentive of a referral bonus. 

Talent acquisition has always been a tactile, strategic, and ongoing process, but now those skills are being put to the test. 

Worker Instability within the market 

 Now more than ever, with uncertainty at the helm of careers everywhere, it’s imperative that companies work on their reputation in order to ensure that candidates feel comfortable and confident in their application and job security.  

However, in 2020, your reputation simply may not be enough. Talented candidates are less and less willing to change jobs or take on something new, as the working environment worldwide simply is not stable enough. Because of this, you need to work harder to find candidates while looking to hire. Take into consideration that the time and financial costs could be much higher.  

Talent Shortages  

The issue of lack of worker movement is exacerbated by the global talent shortage that we find ourselves in. In 2019, 54% of companies were unable to find skilled workers to fill roles that needed to be filled.

This figure is almost double what it was 10 years ago, and this trend does not look as though it will taper any point soon. This is just one of the reasons why it is imperative that you nurture your talent acquisition department so that you can stand apart from the crowd when you need to fill a position.   

You might also like: How to adapt your hiring strategy during the pandemic 

Is it better to stay in-house or outsource my talent search? 

Whether you choose to foster this area of your business by hiring an in-house headhunter or working with a talent acquisition agency depends upon your hiring needs and the resources available to you. If you are a very large company with a great hiring need, then potentially hiring a headhunter to cater to your recruitment services would be a good choice for you. 

However, it’s unlikely that in the wake of the pandemic hiring a personal headhunter is a wise fiscal choice. It’s much more likely that a talent acquisition consulting company or a talent acquisition agency would be able to more appropriately deal with your needs.  

Since talent acquisition agencies have been making use of digital tools since before the pandemic, they are already versed in the ways to use talent acquisition technologies and have experience with hiring strategies that may not be in regular use for your average Human Resources department.  

How are talent acquisition agencies prepared for the pandemic? 

Depending on the agency, they are remarkably well prepared for the pandemic. As mentioned above, talent acquisition agencies are already taking advantage of a fully digital hiring process, conducting digital interviews and making use of artificial intelligence in their initial search for candidates.  

In the case of Talent2Win, we have worked hard to ensure that our hiring process is always totally visible to the client, at any time. That means real-time updates about where each candidate is in the application process. You can leave notes on each candidate and stay as involved as you would like throughout the process, without the usual time and energy taxes.  

Opting for a talent acquisition agency can be beneficial for your budget because it’s a flat fee. There will not be any surprise costs that pop up if the search takes longer than expected, and you will not be draining time from a potentially strained Human Resources department. 

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, talent acquisition agencies are prepared for the new challenges of finding and hiring talent.  

At Talent2Win, we strive to align your company’s business objectives with the best Talent Acquisition strategies available. If you want to learn more about the services we offer, do not hesitate to contact us.