“Your employer brand is never what you say it is. It’s what your employees and candidates say it is.”                                                                 –  Jillian Einck, Director of Employer Brand @ Recruitics

You spent 2020 trying to keep your head above the waves, right? Forget trying to get a step ahead of what was coming next. You were doing good to remain to stand, not to be knocked down by the force of constant changes, by the inconsistent barrage of information, and the continual worry about what might lay ahead. Run ragged by the continuous adjustments, some barely short of a major overhaul, to keep your staffing firm afloat during what can undoubtedly be labeled as the staffing industry’s greatest challenge in decades.

While we hope the worst is behind us, there is no denying that the way America works will never be the same. And it will be up to the staffing industry to guide clients and candidates through the maze of changes we find ourselves navigating in this post-pandemic era.

As you plot a strategy for meeting the challenges of 2021 head-on, ponder these points industry experts expect to be driving forces in the industry’s forward momentum.

Embrace Disruption

What will serve you and your firm well in the days ahead? Viewing the “disruptions” of last year, not by the negative connotation we associate with a disturbance or problem, but rather by the business definition.

Hannah Hottenstein explains, “Business disruption refers to any innovation within an industry that radically and lastingly changes the way all companies in that industry operate.”

Writing for Forbes, Christopher Fairbank says this, “Positive disruption — or continually reinventing yourself and your brand — can better help people and organizations become more innovative and learn how to stay relevant.”

For the staffing industry, this means releasing ourselves from the constraints of how we have always done things, to let go of what we thought we knew about our role. I cannot imagine anyone charging into 2021 with a “same old, same old” mindset. It’s a new world out there, folks. It’s up to us to realize that the disruptions wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic can become a driving force for positive changes within the industry.

Capitalize on Transferable Skills

Those who garner success in 2021 will undoubtedly be the same folks who grasp the importance of transferable skills and incorporate this concept into their recruitment strategy.

While industries such as travel and hospitality will continue to experience a slow recovery, other sectors can expect to see exponential growth spurts continue. That means nothing short of a colossal employee mash-up can supply employers with the new talent they desperately need while at the same time providing jobs for scores of folks unemployed by the 2020 “disruption.”

As this reality sinks in, employers are switching up the order of the must-have skills they are looking for in new hires. For many, this means putting less focus on hard, technical skills while prioritizing transferable skills, which can be used in different industries, jobs, and circumstances.

Topping the list are these noted in the Recruiter’s Guide to Transferable Skills —

  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork skills
  • Problem analysis and solving skills
  • Motivation and work ethic
  • Tech savviness & digital literacy

Your place in this employee mash-up? Sell the concept to both sides of the employment equation and be tuned in to the great employer/employee connections that can be made by focusing on transferable skills.

Excel in adaptability

The ability to adapt has always played a role in the always-in-flux staffing industry. As we emerge from the pandemic, the need to excel in adaptability has risen to the forefront. As we navigate new, uncharted territory, the one certainty will be the constant changes encountered along the way. And the best antidote to constant change? A strengthened adaptability muscle.

The business community will face a long-term period of adjustment, featuring both minor tweaks and major overhauls. The needs of candidates will likewise ebb and flow as life settles into a new normal, forever impacted by the pandemic that rattled 2020.

The staffing firm that strives for and succeeds in the across-the-board level of adaptability will have a considerable advantage in the challenging year ahead.

The waves of change pounding the staffing industry cannot help but impact the way staffing firms should market their services to both sides of the hiring table. But with staying afloat usurping every ounce of time and energy your team can muster, why not let the pros at ASJ Partners manage your marketing strategies? With more than twenty-five years of experience under their belt, they are the experts at accelerating revenues for Staffing and Recruiting Firms. Through unique, customized, and highly targeted marketing programs, their industry-specific programs will help you Sell More, Win More, Grow More, and Be Found More.

Why are you waiting? Contact our team by telephone at 610.930.5300 or by e-mail at weneedhelp@asjpartners.com.