You now own a business during a pandemic, so “business as usual” is not your current reality. The only thing that hasn’t changed is you’re still a business owner and everyone will look to you for leadership.
Everyone is facing different challenges depending on what segment of our profession your business represents. There has been a tremendous influx in many temporary positions from the grocery industry, transportation, manufacturing and companies like Amazon continue to hire thousands of new employees.
If you are placing higher level contractors, many of your qualified contractors may have been released. There are hard to find contractors currently available and many companies are hiring them and allowing them to work remote.
Direct hires continue to close at high levels, in the medical profession, biotech and other priority hires. It is now easier to place talent in governmental positions without the long approval processes. Most job that were in process have been put on hold, not cancelled.
The most important thing to remember, this is a temporary challenge and there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Now is the time to prove you’re there for your clients in good times and bad and must communicate with all your clients. Continue to be their trusted advisor and sounding board. Some companies may release employees who were not peak performers and utilize your company to upgrade their team. They will be impressed that the owner of the company reached out to them!
Make sure your recruiting team is talking to their current candidates while also pipelining candidates who have the job titles that your company fills. Most candidates are working virtual and are more than willing to discuss what they see as their next career move.
If you have temporaries or contractors working, over communicate with them. If they are not comfortable going to work, replace them but assure them you will continue to work with them when the pandemic is over.
Also take time to call every one of your vendors, to negotiate delayed payments or if needed, research the various loans currently available to entrepreneurs. Remember, your services will be more needed than ever, and you need to be the most prepared to handle the rush of hiring that will occur.