[Businesses] “Start planning your way out of the Covid-19 crisis now”

At RECRUITERS, we are on the frontline when it comes to the employment market. We spend our days talking to and strategizing with business leaders, hiring managers, HR and Talent Acquisition professionals as they look forward to life beyond lockdown.

An article we wrote at the beginning of February titled "Irish businesses should be Coronavirus (COVID-19) prepared" and a subsequent survey that we conducted in early March raised a few questionable eyebrows at the time - but our readers reaped the rewards in retrospect. 

This week I spoke to many of our key clients who are experiencing a lift in positivity as our Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar threw us a lifeline on Friday evening (May 1st) with Ireland's 5 stage plan for exiting lockdown. 

Planning has always been a major part of the recruitment process in order to avoid that dreaded bad hire. Typically, the standard timeline for hiring a permanent person is six weeks without a notice period (typically four or less if you're using a good recruitment partner). Add in a 2 month notice period for a senior hire and you are looking at a minimum of 12-14 weeks from the time a new job is approved. 

Junior to mid-level roles can take equally as long, depending on the skills availability and notice periods. There’s a balancing act when it comes to the recruitment process. It takes time to do it right and therefore, requires some careful thought, but your recruitment process should be efficient and not drag out for too long. Now, of course, we are at the beginning of 2020's summer season so you also have to consider the holiday plans of new hires which can also blur the timelines.

My advice is to plan during the month of May and start your hiring process in June.

For those of us lucky enough to be working from home in non-essential roles we will be the last to return to our offices. If we assume mid-August as a return date, that leaves another 14-15 weeks. Many companies will inevitably lose people as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and now is the time to get your head around what your team will look like when you exit lockdown. My advice is to plan during the month of May and start your hiring process in June. Remember if you fail to plan, then you’ll plan to fail. It’s also a great time to pick up talent. 

We’ve spent the last thirteen years sourcing the best talent in Ireland and the last five years, in particular, searching the world for skilled workers to come and work in Ireland, you might be surprised at the sudden availability of all those talented individuals right now. However, just like after the last recession, this talent won't be available for long as we all get back to work and rebuild our businesses and continue our growth journeys. 

Now is the time to get your head around what your team will look like when you exit lockdown.

For more advice on people planning or getting your company prepared for a return to work, you can get in touch with me directly today for a no-obligation consultative call. 

Remember to stay positive and stick together. Things always get better - something we reinforce every week in our 20-minute mindfulness and positivity webcasts. And as Ireland's most trusted recruitment partner, we'll be right there to help you through good times and bad.

Written by Gerard Doyle.

Gerard Doyle is the Managing Director at RECRUITERS.