Okool talks about Covid-19 and staffing industry

How has the staffing industry affected by the pandemic? Does the changing work culture help the customer-client relations to grow in a staffing agency? How can a staffing agency help businesses through staffing during covid-19?

Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the world too badly and has changed the world as we knew it. Like many other industries, the staffing industry has also been impacted by the pandemic. The industry is facing a large revenue decline in more than a decade. The decline is expected to go further in the coming few more months in certain industries.

The staffing industry has now become a work-from-home industry with all the meetings done between clients and candidates remotely. The staffing industry was started after the end of world war since there was a heavier demand for workforce and companies couldn’t concentrate much on pooling the right candidates. In the current scenario, companies need to re-evaluate their innovation and rise up to the challenges of Covid-19 to make a sustainable comeback. Okool, one of the leading staffing and outsourcing providers examines the impact of the pandemic and things that need to be addressed right now.

With lockdown’s can be extended over a limit as the economic recession is at the brim, it is certain that lockdown and mobility restriction has brought an adverse impact on the staffing sector. The workforce has turned down offers of employment due to the fear of contracting the disease and general mobility restrictions. The demand and supply of human resources have been fluctuating with some industries laying off employees while some others are seeking human resources like never before, like the hospital and logistics industry.

Strangely a reverse phenomenon is happening in the job market where the candidates have to adapt or learn new skills for the available open position. Earlier, best candidates would choose from a vast number of offers that fits their educational qualification. There are new Covid-19 regulations that protect workers and safeguard their interests which need to be complemented by staffing agencies.

Said that there has been an increase in new job opportunities as posted by many staffing companies. Essential workers’ demand is on a rise all over the world. E-commerce sales have witnessed a large boom which is directly proportional to the increasing demand for logistics which supports e-commerce. Studies from various companies say that the current layoff and downsizing are temporary and the businesses will require more manpower when the economy becomes stable and running.

The staffing industry should embrace the changing situation, understand business dynamics, and adapt accordingly. This can help them transition from their role as labour market intermediaries to the business drivers of the future.

Strategies for the industry

Understanding the current situation and taking responsible as well as sensible action that can mitigate the negative impact is essential. The industry would make the best of the emerging opportunities. With shifting workforce demand, it is important to understand the available workforce and make them able to handle the vacancies open. A staffing agency needs to nurture local candidates, identify skills that can be used on a short term basis so that individuals can get back to their permanent work once the lockdown is lifted. Working from home has become an essential mode of work in almost every industry and therefore staffing agencies should help enable remote work platforms. Okool describes a few measures that can be adopted right now.

• Identifying transferable skills and talents: A cross-industry data platform integration has to be done with government jobs and the rest. This database needs to keep updated along with suitable forecast algorithms. This can help identify transferable skills/talent and fill the opportunities that are currently available.
• Covid-19 job legislations: Covid-19 legislations are kept on changing and updated. The staffing industry needs to closely monitor these changes so that the countries and states without making changes to the existing applications.
• Social media Campaigns: Use social media campaigns to call essential workers to join for opportunities that have been opened in healthcare and supported communities.
• Candidate’s career: Staffing agencies need to identify available workforce for the employment opened. Career transition needs to be guided and made understood to every candidate enrolled in the staffing agency.

On concluding this article, Okool enumerates a few takeaways for staffing companies across the world.

• The economy is said to recover in 3-6 months but the business won’t look the same. Companies that adopt recession mode strategies can recover the most quickly after the pandemic.
• Human advancement in science has to put forth now more than ever. Softwares for better communication and data sharing needs to be developed. The post-pandemic world will be totally different.
• The boundaries of work versus home have been blurred. With professionals working from home worldwide, employees are pulling longer hours, working through deadlines, and are constantly available. It will become the new normal in work environments across the world.
• Companies that take care of employees and clients right now will define new ways of business and are believed to have sustainable growth during the pandemic. After all, we all are humans.