Our Guide to Hiring During Adversity 

When a threat arises, your business can either stick its head in the sand and ignore the problem or it can try to proactively seek a solution. Onboarding new talent could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Should I Recruit During a Recession?

As you’d expect, recruitment activity always drops during times of national uncertainty. Personnel Today has already reported a 36% decrease from the year previous.

Why?

Well, at face value, business owners aren’t willing to make the massive financial commitment of hiring when operational costs are increasing and sales are decreasing across the country.

That’s not all.

As well as forking up the annual salary (which averages over £45,000) of their new creative employee, a business also has to pay for…

• Recruitment expenses, such as job board subscriptions and advertising.
• Onboarding, including the provision of new uniforms and equipment.
• Training costs, which provide necessary employee knowledge.
• Benefits, like sick leave, holiday pay, commission, and leisure allowances.

The total price tag adds up fast; leaving business owners at a loss. It’s a tough spot to be in.

How to Recruit Strategically During Adversity

Wait, there’s some good news! Hiring can boost your survivability.

By proactively filling gaps rather than ignoring them, you can increase your team’s ability to respond to threats – especially when it comes to top-level leadership roles. Ensuring that you have the right talent in the right place can stop you from overworking your current staff, reducing burnout and increasing creativity and problem-solving.

For short-term solutions during adversity, you should consider…

• Hiring Casual Workers: An inability to commit is the problem, not recruitment. Rather than over-promising yourself and bringing on long-term employees… start hiring casual workers. This way, you can fill your talent gaps without upsetting your accountant. If your business sees unexpected growth, great! Offer these employees permanent positions and a market-friendly salary. If your business starts to struggle, be honest with your team and reduce their hours accordingly.
• Onboarding Part-Timers: Part-time workers can also be a brilliant asset during economic recessions. Instead of committing to an annual salary and lots of benefits, part-timers usually get paid by the hour and don’t require as much holiday or sick pay. By recruiting part-time workers, you can strategically manage your total costs while still benefiting from the high productivity rate offered by a new employee. You’ll also find that specialist creative students are eager for shorter hours and flexibility within their role; giving you access to a career-hungry, motivated, and passionate talent pool.

For a long-term but flexible recruitment strategy, when your business is uncertain about committing to a new employee, freelancers should be your go-to.

Why?

On the whole, creative freelancers are used to coming in and ‘saving the day’. It’s part of their job description.

The candidates we work with are most often brought on for the following reasons…

1. Our client is struggling with their current workload and needs additional, temporary, manpower to foster growth.
2. Our client doesn’t have the right skills within its workforce and has been struggling to recruit an employee because of the complex UK market.
3. Our client needs a qualified ‘consultant’ of sorts to offer external perspective and fix a problem.

This requires creative freelancers to be quick learners, fast on their feet, and highly motivated. They’re also committed to producing high-quality work. After all, it’s their reputation on the line as much as yours.

So, depending on your needs, your business can onboard a range of skilled freelancers (such as Copywriters, Software Developers, Executive Officers, Security Architects, Social Media Specialists, and more) on a year-by-year basis; allowing you to budget accordingly and fulfill your talent needs… without overcommitting yourself in challenging times.

For more help with recruiting during adversity, speak to Ross Clifford & Associates. We have a vast network of talented freelancers looking for their next engaging position. Contact us today to find out more.