Recruitment Update – Virtue(al) Consulting
After 9 weeks in lockdown, you would expect recruitment to have come to a stand still across Auckland. However, this is not the case. Positions are readily available, clients are interviewing via Zoom and Teams and job offers are on the table. Here's an idea of what to expect when recruiting or job hunting in this market.
We started lockdown like many, organising training sessions, refining processes, connecting with eachother over Zoom; that proactive COVID- induced spring clean that we all did last year. However our ‘new normal’ was quickly interrupted by the reality of clients needing candidates and Virtue needing to find them.
Physically, not much has changed. We moved to a hybrid work model after last year’s lockdown, so we’re well versed when connecting via Zoom and have adapted to a virtual working model. Industry wise, there’s been a noticeable change in the rate in which our clients have risen to the occasion. Our clients aren’t just waiting to see what happens; they have policies, processes and advice in place, ensuring recruitment and business is driving forward.
Afterall, lockdown is temporary, but secure and successful businesses needing good talent – that will endure.
Virtual is here to stay
It looks like virtual recruiting is here to stay and this isn’t a bad thing. Even when the levels loosen and Auckland starts to go back to hybrid/office mode, there will be many virtual initiatives that remain, including recruitment. This is for a few reasons;
- It’s faster – Candidates no longer need to organise a morning off work to come into the city to shake our hands. Interviews can happen within hours of viewing a CV. This gives all parties the advantage of speed and flexibility within the process.
- It’s inclusive – Perhaps a candidate lives in a different city, can’t find childcare for the day or can’t get time off work; none of these matter when interviewing virtually. We are opening up the roles to more people, allowing an organic shift to a more inclusive process. Everyone has an equal chance and our clients get to see the best on offer as opposed to the best available.
- It saves money – Who doesn’t need that? No need to pay parking or public transport fares.
- It’s Safe – We don’t have a time line around this pandemic. Long term, virtual recruiting ensures social distancing and means we aren’t having to constantly change and adapt to what is happening across alert levels. Long-term processes implemented now = long term stability in the future.
- It’s good practice – Many businesses plan to continue with WFH/ hybrid roles, so what better way to test that connection online, than interviewing in the same way. NB. Here are a few tips to help you show off your full verbal and non verbal communication style via Zoom.
Following Trends
Communication, conversation and connection has never been more important than it is now. The job market is not easy. You may have heard the terms candidate is king , tight job market, the counter offer economy, the great resignation. These trends have all played a part in creating a highly competitive talent market. We are relying heavily on search and sourcing methods due to high employment, employee retention schemes and lack of overseas talent. So, when we are finding the top talent, we’re offering quality over quantity.
As industry leaders, it’s our role to find the trends and be in front of them, ensuring clients and future candidates trust the process. Recruiters are taking on more of an advisory role in this new landscape; navigating intense candidate searches, advising parties within this virtual 2D environment (you can miss that extra ‘dimension’ when trying to build a full picture during interview), and to help provide long term security within a reasonably insecure business climate.
The Candidate Market
1. If you have been wondering whether it is a good time to move on, it is. Be mindful of job security and a company who is actively growing and adapting in the current market. It’s a good time to negotiate and reach up to that next role. But think beyond the $$, what does L&D and future growth look like.
2. If you are unsure about whether to move or not, keep your LinkedIn and Seek details updated and see if the market will come to you. You may have noticed that you’re turning up in a lot more searches on social platforms, this is due to the sourcing and searching methods relied upon by recruiters in a tight market. A good % of placed candidates in the last quarter were not even looking for roles.
However, as always, you still have your part to play to impress and land the role. Ensure you have a good CV filled with active examples as opposed to buzz words. Brush up on your virtual interviewing techniques – Succeed During a Zoom Interview has some good tips. Above all, ensure that you are 100% committed to the role before you accept it – don’t fall victim to the counter-offer, it wont help your personal brand long term.
The future
We all have a common goal in a climate such as this. To control the controllable and feel secure in the knowledge that we will survive.
As mentioned earlier, our clients are still actively recruiting and looking for top talent. This is the new normal’ for the foreseeable, so businesses are actively future proofing to ensure they continue to thrive, succeed and adapt – and acquiring top talent is imperative to this.
“We are still recruiting and on-boarding in the current environment. Most corporate finance and investment firms can operate seamlessly in level 4 and 3. Influx of capital in the NZ market, overlayed with offshore investment is seeing many kiwi companies raise capital, the lockdowns haven’t slowed this. Tech and exporters markets are global. With this, there is always room for top talent – to assist in delivering capital to the right opportunities. The talent market is very competitive right now – culture is a big selling point and a way to retain people too. “ (Investment Director)
We are here to help. If you have any questions or simple want to have an informal chat, give the team a call or email.