Employers need to embrace change to recruit the best people

Leamington Spa-based Fuel Recruitment, which delivers technical talent in IT, Telecoms and Engineering to the public and private sectors, recently won The Staffing Industry Analysts Award for Best Companies to work for in the UK and Ireland.

At this most challenging time for businesses, Mark Esom, managing director and founder of the company, offers some guidance on recruitment.

The impact of the pandemic on the job market cannot be underestimated. Those who work in hospitality and the traditional retail sectors have been hardest hit but there is also the knock-on effect to other businesses which has left the UK in uncertain times.

As a recruitment business finding technical talent for IT, Telecoms and Engineering, we have found these areas have been affected the least. In fact, they have grown across both the public and private sectors, which means we can always find work for people with the right skills and the right attitude. But what does the future hold here in Warwickshire and across the UK for jobseekers and the organisations which need them?

The long term future of jobs is more difficult to predict but, in the medium and short term, I expect that vacancies will be sector specific rather than jobs being available across the board. For example, we believe there will be a continuation and growth of roles for specific skill-sets in IT, engineering and telecoms.

The new diagnostic facility - the Megalab - being built in Leamington is a good example of the sort of skills businesses and the government are looking for. It has 2,500 roles to fill and Fuel Recruitment is among a small number of agencies who have been asked to help provide the right staff for those jobs.

So what is important when you come to recruit?

Location, location, location

In the past, when we were looking for candidates for roles, we would be asked where the job was based. This current crisis has proved that remote working means you can recruit from anywhere - UK or even Europe. Now we suggest organisations broaden their horizons and not worry about the location or they risk missing out on the best talent.

Remuneration

Money is usually in the top three considerations for candidates, but it isn’t always the first or the only consideration. No one who is talented at their job will stay just for the money. What they look for is interesting work with a company which is going somewhere, looks after its staff and does business in an ethical fashion.

The type of work that individuals carry out is also very important. In technology, workers want to be at the forefront of the latest innovations. When we work with clients to find new talent we also provide consultancy to help companies be attractive to talented employees. Your brand, and the perception of your brand, counts.

DIY recruitment

For some jobs you can place an advert on one of the many job sites and it will work for you. However, good people tend to stay in work so they are unlikely to go trawling for vacancies. For less skilled roles, direct advertising will probably work, but if you are looking for more specialised, skilled or technical people it is better to use a professional recruitment business who can find them for you. Recruiters have a vast network and database of highly skilled individuals so this will save you money in the long run.

Embrace the change

Employers need to think differently about where and how people are prepared to work in the future. Businesses have had to be flexible during this crisis and remote working has, in the main, worked. It’s going to be difficult for you to offer roles which don’t allow this flexibility to continue. Most likely, unless the role is customer facing, staff will expect the role to be split between days in the office and days at home.

Keeping staff on board

Finally, once you have good staff you will want to keep them on board, so getting the right people in the first place is important. When you take on new people (though this applies to current staff as well) consider how to keep them motivated and engaged in the new remote working or half in/half out environment. We are social creatures and thrive off interaction. If you want to keep good people be mindful of your staff’s welfare. It’s not just about their performance!

Mark