What’s happening in the job market?

04.01.2020

As you can imagine, the landscape of the market has changed over the course of the last few weeks. At Ambrion, we have taken this opportunity to listen and learn from our candidates and clients. More people are working from home right now more than ever, and it’s changing how companies and employees are working. We’re hearing about the new ways that work is getting done, how the approach to hiring and recruiting is being affected, and how people are feeling about the shift away from traditional requirements about what it means to go to work. Because people aren’t in the office, they’re having candid conversations with us about their careers and their roles. Here are some insights from conversations our team at Ambrion have had over these last few weeks.

 

A break in the war for talent

The need to attract and onboard the right talent has been challenging over the past several years. Many organizations were not just seeking to add new hires, but were still trying to fill talent gaps on their teams. This hasn’t changed! Yes, there are some companies that are tightening the reins and not spending on hiring. But there are many companies that still have gaps to fill. For those companies, there is a great opportunity to capture talent. There are fewer companies vying for the attention of each candidate which allows your company to get noticed and showcase your career opportunities. If you are in a position where you can deliver a message of job security and solid training, your position can get recognized right now!

 

Not all Industries are freezing hiring

We’re sure you saw the posts last week about CVS and Amazon hiring hundreds of thousands of people to keep up with the demand at their retail locations and the need for more delivery drivers. But beyond those two examples, there are other industries and companies that are involved with food production, prescription drugs, medical device production and niche organizations that are in desperate need of people. That’s great news for candidates that are looking for the next step in their career, and if you’re in the midst of a job search or are set to interview in the next couple weeks, don’t give up. You should stay the course because not every company is worried about incoming revenue for next quarter. 

 

Keep Moving Ahead

It might feel like now is the time to pull down the open job listings you have on your company web site, but it’s not. Career growth and stability are still in demand. The assumption might be that candidates are not willing to make a move. However, based on the hundreds of calls we have had this week, candidates still want to hear about opportunities that are going to advance their careers. It’s not every candidate, but even in a strong market every candidate is not going to say yes. If you have a compelling opportunity, people are still willing to hear about it! 

 

Another situation to consider right now. Times like these inspire companies to assess their leadership. Is your company taking stock of the leaders at your company? Is the leadership in place thought to be seen as the people helping to row the boat in the right direction over the next six months? Or is your company doubtful that you have a leadership team that can stand the test of time? Strong leaders can emerge in a time of chaos, but it can also bring to light areas of leadership that could use some improvement. Right now could be a good time to make a move toward attracting stronger leadership if you feel your company needs it. 

 

The labor market landscape will continue to evolve and change each week as we maneuver through these unprecedented times. A lot of people have the time, flexibility and freedom to be thinking and talking about their careers, and we’re grateful they’re talking to us! Our team here at Ambrion welcomes the opportunity to continue to be a resource to you. We are dedicated to continuously learning and evolving with the market to ensure we can offer the best advice in staffing and career growth.  We may not be able to meet you face to face but we are always interested in building relationships.