Earlier this year, when states and local governments ordered shutdowns of businesses, many expected they would be short-term closures. Fast-forward six months into the COVID-19 pandemic and certain types of businesses remain closed and the economy continues to be slow in some sectors. While this may translate into a slower overall recovery of jobs, there are some bright spots of growth and opportunity for the future of business, one of which is the recent decrease in unemployment claims.
With the need for testing, development of vaccines and medical care, healthcare and technology are two areas of consistent growth. Jobs in cleaning, sanitation, and construction have also been on the rise. We’ve also seen jobs that didn’t exist prior to the pandemic, such as contact tracer and temperature takers. And the rapid change in lifestyle brought on by the pandemic has increased activity in grocery and food delivery, as well as online shopping. While not all of these jobs will continue once the pandemic subsides, people may become accustomed to using more technology and delivery services, which might remain in high demand.
There is also the potential for some bigger, perhaps permanent, changes in the employment and staffing sector. Virtual recruiting, which was previously not as common, is now the norm. Interviewing people via Zoom may open up more opportunities to recruit a wider pool of candidates from different geographic areas. This may not work for industries such as food service, manufacturing, etc. due to the need for on-site employees being a must. But for companies who have found that having employees work from home is feasible and more cost effective, the capability to hire employees from anywhere could be a game changer in terms of acquiring talent.
Remote work is definitely here to stay for some companies. Large tech giants, such as Facebook, Slack, and Twitter, plan to let much of their staff work from home permanently, even after the pandemic is over. Doubtless many other smaller companies will follow suit as they find it is a workable business model. This will have a major impact on many facets of business, including facilities management, hiring, and human resources. The role of Human Resources will be particularly affected, with managers needing to develop new ways to manage and support remote employees.
Though it’s early to predict all of the long-term changes for employment that will be borne out of the pandemic, it seems certain that we will be looking at a new landscape. There is definite economic upheaval for many workers and businesses right now. If you’re in the market for a job, or need talent for your company, contact Innovative Career Resources & Staffing today. We can partner with you to help navigate this tough time and make the journey a little smoother.