6 Skills Your Recruiters Need in a Post-Covid-19 Market

Recruitment looks very different now to how it did before Covid-19 struck.

Your recruiters will be facing a whole new set of challenges right now, and they’re going to need the right skillset to deal with them.

Here are some skills your recruiters will need to succeed in the ‘new normal’ of recruitment.

1. Adaptability

Even before Covid hit, the recruitment landscape was changing fast, and going into lockdown has only accelerated this.

Your team have had to adapt to so much in a very short space of time – they’re working from home, they’re placing candidates remotely and their KPIs will look quite different too.

It’s not been easy, but it’s those who approached the situation head-on who have demonstrated the kind of adaptability you need on your team.

Those who resist change slow business down, and with so much uncertainty still ahead, it’s important they realise that change will simply be part of their job moving forward.

2. Objection handling

Objection handling has always been an important part of recruitment, no matter what the market looks like.

But the types of objections your team will be facing right now will be tougher and more frequent than before Covid hit, so it’s a key skill they’ll need to master right now.

If you recruited during the last recession, you’ll know that prospects throw objections at you faster and harder than many of your recruiters will be used to. They will need to master the art of overcoming tough objections like “We’re not hiring right now” every day – and this blog will help them do it.

3. Creativity

Being creative means thinking outside the box, and this is something that’s essential to growing a business. When times are tough, it can be hard to get your creativity flowing, but it’s important to make time for innovation in your business.

Creating a space where your recruiters feel motivated to come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things will be extremely useful in the coming months, as all businesses will be constantly evolving and adapting to survive.

The creative recruiters on your team who challenge the status quo will help push the business forward, so it’s good for business to nurture this skill in them.

4. Negotiation skills

In a job-short market, prospects have more leverage to try and push down your rates and it’s likely your recruiters will be more willing to oblige if they don’t have enough jobs on their desk.

So, before they go selling your agency’s services at a discount, make sure their negation skills are up to scratch!

If your recruiters know their value confidently enough, convincing prospects that your agency’s services are worth the cost should be a doddle.

5. Digital literacy

If any of your recruiters are still struggling with using Zoom, they don’t know how to use their CRM to find leads or how to share a video sales pitch over email, they will be losing you business in the post-Covid-19 market.

The majority of businesses are planning to stay remote in some capacity, so you need recruiters who know how to utilise the right tech to excel in this market.

For more guidance on how to improve tech adoption, read this eBook on how to engage your recruiters with new tech and this eBook will help you move your recruitment sales process online - this

6. Personal branding

The post-Covid-19 market is going to be even more competitive than before, so your recruiters need to know how to stand out against the competition if they’re going to win business online.

In this market, having a strong personal brand is essential to winning clients and candidates. Everything your recruiters do online reflects your agency’s brand, and knowing how to market themselves effectively will be a skill your team will need to hone in this competitive market.

For more guidance on how to differentiate your agency in a post-Covid market, read the eBook below.