As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, one term that has been used to describe our current, and future, way of life is “the new normal.”
The new normal refers to how many aspects of life that we have grown accustomed to for so long will forever be changed because of the Covid-19 virus. Think along the lines of permanent social-distancing at sporting events, movies, and restaurants, in addition to frequent mask-wearing and constant application of hand sanitizer.
Then there are more macro ways to think about this new normal. For example, permanent work-from-home policies will become commonplace for most employers, which will have a negative impact on office real estate as demand plummets.
No matter what profession you are in, the coronavirus pandemic has forced you to re-imagine how to handle your job so that you are adapting and thriving in the new normal.
For recruiters and staffing services providers, there are a few ways they can evolve according to the new normal so that their businesses can continue to prosper.
In-person meetings. First, staffing professionals should not totally dismiss the in-person business meeting as something that will fall by the wayside as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, in-person business meetings at restaurants or coffee shops can still happen if handled responsibly and within social distancing guidelines. Because the in-person meeting is still a viable option, staffing professionals should use it only when they are really trying to secure an important deal with either party as a way to make the employer or employee feel extra valuable or special.
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Sectors served. Second, staffing firms should also consider restructuring their target industries to more accurately reflect how things have changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
For example, they can focus on the cybersecurity industry as more companies have employees working from home and need to beef up their security to ensure sensitive information stays under wraps. Staffing professionals can do this both by building relationships with cybersecurity experts, while also searching for companies that are in need of cybersecurity professionals because their employees are now working from home.
On the flip side of this, staffing companies might benefit from pulling out of industries that are expected to continue suffering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, like hotels, travel, and entertainment.
Employer value proposition. Third and finally, staffing professionals should encourage client companies to think outside-the-box in terms of the benefits they offer as the pandemic has made it harder to separate good employers based on things like office space, office environment, and office location, not to mention game rooms and free food.
For example, with many young people owing so much student loan debt, one innovative benefit employers can offer is a student loan repayment benefit that helps employees pay down their debt.
Another one would be a pet insurance benefit that signs employees up with a favorable pet insurance plan. This is doubly attractive as more people became pets owners during the pandemic because of all the free time they have had as well as the desire for companionship.
By encouraging employers to differentiate themselves from the competition by offering exciting employee benefits, your company would benefit because they could then more easily help these employers attract the best talent around. Staffing firms also might consider offering such unique benefits to their own staff.
Adjusting to the new normal will be easier for some people and harder for others, but the staffing professionals that get innovative with their strategies to quickly adapt to the pandemic will be the ones that succeed.