It’s that time of year again, as we go into our Labour Day weekend, it’s going to be back to school and back to work – hard to believe that our summer is almost over!! And, back to the grind during these awkward times means that things are not running as per usual. Since March, we are dealing with a new kind of disruption and some of us are struggling to understand, or at least some of us are trying to figure out what’s trending real on the market and what’s not.

Here are some of the movements we have noticed in the last few weeks, that more and more people are reaching out to us looking for positions in Recruiting – we’ve all noticed those new profiles pictures with green portraits along with the hashtag (#opentowork). I know a lot of people’s work situations were affected, but some Talent Acquisition folks were really hit hard in the first few months of this pandemic. Some of the smaller firms and even some medium-sized staffing companies let go of their resources trying to quickly adjust and cut their overhead costs. And some, waiting a little longer to see if there would be different outcomes and patiently ride-out the pandemic wave. The first wave of layoffs or temporary layoffs, were felt almost immediately, but now we are seeing some folks are being let go from larger organizations too. Much like a first wave of the pandemic, shall we anticipate a second wave of layoffs coming or maybe it has already arrived? It’s unclear though, because we keep seeing job postings online and I also have people coming back to me saying that they have applied to positions but there’s no follow-up and/or no activity in moving the recruitment process forward. Every day, week, and for months now – the situation changes and maybe some businesses can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Please keep in mind that our niche is in the IT industry, and yes there are some companies still hiring across several different verticals but people are asking us about who’s hiring? That’s a very good question and let’s be honest, are some companies just posting jobs for a proactive pipeline? Here’s a secret – the candidate pipeline requisition is a very common practice in our industry, one that I do not support. If you are relying on job postings to source talent, then you need to change your recruiting strategy and find other ways to add value to your organization. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll use job postings on LinkedIn, but they are “real” job opportunities and sometimes it’s more about visibility than an actual sourcing for talent. Yes, I know it’s shocking and sometimes we do get lucky, but it’s rare that a posting will generate quality leads. So, back to my point – there are LinkedIn job postings and/or online media posts demonstrating “we’re hiring” but are they really? Are we all just trying to keep a brave-face in the midst of this pandemic? Has anyone else noticed all the free Webinars being offered? I’ve never seen so much free advice in my career! Don’t get me wrong, I relish any opportunity to gain insight or knowledge from the industry. At the beginning of this pandemic I couldn’t get enough of those free seminars!! So, it’s fair to say, that some people seem to be thriving in this environment while others are suffering immensely. It’s difficult to assess what’s really happening if there’s a bunch of bogus recruitment marketing ads and fake pipeline hiring posts. This is exactly why we’ve been reaching out to our network, speaking to people directly, and we are hearing a very different story than the one that is being represented online.

Have you ever experienced anything like this in your search for an opportunity to work? If yes, please share your comments and/or thoughts in the LinkedIn post below and let’s figure out what’s really happening out there!

Enjoy this Labour Day weekend and as always, please be safe!
Nancy