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COVID-19 has accelerated three broad trends that may reshape work after the pandemic recedes

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COVID-19 has accelerated three broad trends that may reshape work after the pandemic recedes

The pandemic pushed companies and consumers to rapidly adopt new behaviours that are likely to stick, changing the trajectory of three groups of trends. We consequently see sharp discontinuity between their impact on labour markets before and after the pandemic.

 

1. Remote work and virtual meetings are likely to continue, albeit less intensely than at the pandemic’s peak

 

Perhaps the most obvious impact of COVID-19 on the labour force is the dramatic increase in employees working remotely. To determine how extensively remote work might persist after the pandemic, we researched its potential across more than 2,000 tasks used in some 800 occupations in the eight focus countries. Considering only remote work that can be done without a loss of productivity, we find that about 20 to 25 percent of the workforces in advanced economies could work from home between three and five days a week. This represents four to five times more remote work than before the pandemic and could prompt a large change in the geography of work, as individuals and companies shift out of large cities into rural areas and small towns. We found that some work that technically can be done remotely is best done in person. Negotiations, critical business decisions, brainstorming sessions, providing sensitive feedback, and onboarding new employees are examples of activities that may lose some effectiveness when done remotely.

 

Some companies are already planning to shift to flexible workspaces after positive experiences with remote work during the pandemic, a move that will reduce the overall space they need and bring fewer workers into offices each day. A survey of 278 executives by McKinsey in August 2020 found that on average, they planned to reduce office space by 30 percent.

 

Remote work may also put a dent in business travel as its extensive use of videoconferencing during the pandemic has ushered in a new acceptance of virtual meetings and other aspects of work. While leisure travel and tourism are likely to rebound after the crisis, it is estimated that about 20 percent of business travel, the most lucrative segment for airlines, may not return. This would have significant knock-on effects on employment in commercial aerospace, airports, hospitality, and foodservice. E-commerce and other virtual transactions are booming.

 

Many consumers discovered the convenience of e-commerce and other online activities during the pandemic. In 2020, the share of e-commerce grew at two to five times the rate before COVID-19 (Exhibit 2). Roughly three-quarters of people using digital channels for the first time during the pandemic say they will continue using them when things return to “normal.”

 

 

Other kinds of virtual transactions such as telemedicine, online banking, and streaming entertainment have also taken off. Online doctor consultations has grew more than tenfold between April and November 2020. These virtual practices may decline somewhat as economies reopen but are likely to continue well above levels seen before the pandemic.

 

This shift to digital transactions has propelled growth in delivery, transportation, and warehouse jobs. In China, e-commerce, delivery, and social media jobs grew by more than 5.1 million during the first half of 2020.

 

2. COVID-19 may propel faster adoption of automation and AI, especially in work arenas with high physical proximity

Two ways businesses historically have controlled cost and mitigated uncertainty during recessions are by adopting automation and redesigning work processes, which reduce the share of jobs involving mainly routine tasks. In a global survey of 800 senior executives in July 2020, two-thirds said they were stepping up investment in automation and AI either somewhat or significantly.

 

Many companies deployed automation and AI in warehouses, grocery stores, call centers, and manufacturing plants to reduce workplace density and cope with surges in demand. The common feature of these automation use cases is their correlation with high scores on physical proximity, and research finds the work arenas with high levels of human interaction are likely to see the greatest acceleration in adoption of automation and AI.

 

 

3. The mix of occupations may shift, with little job growth in low-wage occupations

The trends accelerated by COVID-19 may spur greater changes in the mix of jobs within economies than we estimated before the pandemic.

We find that a markedly different mix of occupations may emerge after the pandemic across the eight economies. Compared to pre-COVID-19 estimates, we expect the largest negative impact of the pandemic to fall on workers in food service and customer sales and service roles, as well as less-skilled office support roles. Jobs in warehousing and transportation may increase as a result of the growth in e-commerce and the delivery economy, but those increases are unlikely to offset the disruption of many low-wage jobs.

 

Demand for workers in the healthcare and STEM occupations may grow more than before the pandemic, reflecting increased attention to health as populations age and incomes rise as well as the growing need for people who can create, deploy, and maintain new technologies.

 

Before the pandemic, net job losses were concentrated in middle-wage occupations in manufacturing and some office work, reflecting automation, and low- and high-wage jobs continued to grow. Nearly all low-wage workers who lost jobs could move into other low-wage occupations—for instance, a data entry worker could move into retail or home healthcare. Because of the pandemic’s impact on low-wage jobs, we now estimate that almost all growth in labour demand will occur in high-wage jobs. Going forward, more than half of displaced low-wage workers may need to shift to occupations in higher wage brackets and requiring different skills to remain employed.

What Jobs Are In High Demand?

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Since the pandemic began in March the UK jobs market has changed substantially, take a look at what this means for recruitment and occupational shortages and what jobs are in high demand.

Before the pandemic began, a report from Luminate, Skills shortages in the UK 2019/20, which takes its data from the Employer Skills Survey (ESS) 2017, stated that a third of vacancies (33%) in the UK were considered hard to fill. Vacancies are often hard to fill due to a lack of required skills, qualifications or experience among applicants.

What sectors has COVID-19 affected?

The graduate labour market has suffered significant damage, particularly in the arts – but things are far worse for non-graduates. Many key graduate employment sectors – in health, social care, IT, business services – have been much less affected than other areas of the economy. And it’s notable that many vacancies that were hard to fill before the pandemic is in that group. Of the top five graduate professions for the number of hard-to-fill vacancies only HR and recruitment has clearly seen a very serious fall in demand. Nursing, medicine, IT and housing/welfare are all still in demand.

What about the future?

There’s still a way to go before we can be completely clear about the effects of the pandemic, but many businesses are thinking hard about their future skills needs.

PWC observe that the Local Government Association estimates that the ‘low carbon workforce’ will treble by 2030 and that demand for digital skills and transferrable skills such as creativity, critical thinking, interpersonal communication skills and leadership skills will also become more important as technology advances and virtual working becomes a lot more common.

Hard-to-fill and skills shortage vacancies

The report highlighted the professional level occupations, which were reported by employers to have experienced the most vacancies during the survey. ‘Professional level’ means managerial, professional and associate professional roles. Nursing came top of the list, followed by HR and industrial relations professionals, business sales executives, welfare and housing associate professionals and IT user support technicians.

The report also demonstrates that despite thousands of graduates entering the job market every year employers still find certain positions difficult to fill. An employer reported a vacancy as hard to fill if they found it difficult to recruit for, for any reason. The largest number of hard-to-fill vacancies were:

  • nurses
  • programmers and software development professionals
  • human resources and industrial relations officers
  • medical practitioners
  • welfare and housing associate professionals.

Design engineers, accountants, marketing associate professionals and vets also made the list.

Vacancies that recruiters find hard to fill due to a lack of relevant skills, qualifications and experiences are often referred to as ‘skills shortage vacancies’. Similar to the hard to fill list graduate jobs that experience the most skills shortage vacancies include nurses, programmers and software development professionals and business sales executives. However, unlike the hard to fill list teaching and other educational professionals, finance and investment analysts and advisers and graphic designers also feature.

According to the report, the following industries are also in high demand:
  • architectural and engineering activities
  • computer programming and consultancy
  • education
  • employment and HR
  • financial services
  • human health activities
  • legal and accounting services
  • office administrative, support and business activities
  • public administration and defence
  • residential care activities
  • retail trade
  • social work.
Occupational shortages by region

The UK is not one homogenous labour market and workers are not infinitely mobile, therefore local shortages exist.

In the East Midlands, like in most regions, nursing has the most hard-to-fill vacancies. However, draughtspersons and product and clothing designers are particular to the region. The East of England has the longest list of shortage occupations and these include medical practitioners, nurses, design and development engineers, veterinarians and business executives.

With a large and business-oriented labour market, it’s unsurprising that London’s appetite for business support professionals in IT, recruitment, consultancy, law, sales and marketing is reflected by shortages in these occupations.

The top four shortages in the North East include nurses, medical practitioners, human resources and industrial relations officers and programmers and software development professionals. The region also struggles to recruit graphic designers.

The North West has more hard-to-fill vacancies in sales than any other. It also has one of the most serious shortages of nurses, recruitment professionals, housing professionals, youth workers and accountants.

The South East has a strong graduate labour market. However, the region has the largest number of shortages in the UK in nursing, IT support, insurance and housing.

Solicitors and legal professionals are in particularly short supply in the South West. Other shortage occupations include medical practitioners and programmers and software development professionals.

There are notable engineering shortages in the West Midlands. Sales staff, nurses and human resources and industrial relations officers are also in short supply.

Yorkshire struggles to recruit electrical engineers, IT operations technicians and child and early years officers. Marketing associate professionals are also hard to find.

 

Why vacancies are hard to fill and in high demand:

Skills shortage vacancies frequently occur at a managerial level, with candidates often failing to demonstrate sufficient work experience. 43% of ESS respondents said that managerial positions were hard to fill due to a low number of applicants with the required skills. 29% cited a lack of required work experience, while 19% blamed a low number of applicants generally.

Professional-level jobs also show a similar pattern, although there are fewer issues with insufficient experience and more with applicant shortage. Competition from other employers and lack of interest in these types of roles also played a part. 46% of employers said that candidates for professional roles lacked the required skills, 28% said that a low number of applicants generally made these types of roles hard to fill.

When asked what skills were particularly hard to obtain for managerial jobs, over half of employers found it hard to recruit applicants with a demonstrable ability to manage. 67% of employers said it was hard to obtain specialist skills and knowledge related to the job, while 52% found complex problem-solving skills to be particularly scarce. Knowledge of products and services and of how an organisation works also proved elusive. Soft skills that were lacking included managing and motivating staff, influencing others and the ability to manage own time and prioritise workloads.

When recruiting for professional jobs specialist knowledge was again the hardest skill to find. Advanced or specialist IT skills and complex numerical or statistical skills were also hard to come by. Applications for professional roles also lacked evidence of the following soft skills – ability to manage own time, motivating other staff and customer handling skills.

We understand that it is a competitive marketplace when trying to attract the top talent to your business or organisation. As a specialist recruitment agency, we only work with top-level professionals that want to make a difference and add value to your organisation. If you require support with recruiting top talent to your business or changing career please get in touch to find out how we can help.

 

-Prospects

How has the UK jobs market been impacted?

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Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the jobs market was incredibly buoyant, with statistics indicating that employment was at an all-time high. However, sadly the tides have turned with a number of employees recently losing their jobs or being placed on furlough as a result of the global pandemic.

Figures released by the ONS in June discovered that for the three months ending April 2020, the highest employment rate estimate in the UK was in the South East (79.5%) and the lowest was in Northern Ireland (71.6%). It also revealed that for the three months ending April 2020, the highest unemployment rate estimate in the UK was in the North East (5.2%) and the lowest was in Northern Ireland (2.3%); a joint record low unemployment rate.

Due to the closure of many businesses across the UK, including retailers, gyms, restaurants and pubs, these outlets have felt the severe brunt of coronavirus, while the tourism industry has struggled to stay afloat as international travel was stopped. For example, British airline Flybe announced it had gone into administration this year after struggling with the outbreak, meanwhile Sir Richard Branson announced plans to remortgage his private Caribbean island to raise money to help his Virgin Group business, which includes the Virgin Atlantic airline, survive.

To give you an idea of how the jobs market has changed over the last few months, we have compiled a list of some of the key stats and trends:

 

75.3% of Brits feel stressed about trying to find a new role in the current climate.
CV Library

 

Research has revealed the jobs and companies which have seen the biggest increase in searches since the UK entered lockdown (March 23, 2020), with ‘NHS Volunteer Job’ seeing a 355% increase and ‘Fruit Picking Jobs’ seeing an 843% increase.
Debut Careers

 

The new Improving Quality of Hire through Recruiting Enablement report revealed that 63% of businesses believe that identifying and attracting quality hires is the greatest challenge they face.
Aptitude Research and Oleeo

 

Delivery driver, warehouse operative, sales development representative, risk analyst and retail assistant are the top five most applied for jobs in the UK.
LinkedIn

 

In the COVID-19 Business Reaction Report, 54% of the businesses that took part in the survey revealed they have had to furlough staff and, worryingly, are only expecting to reactivate 60% of those furloughed.
IsoNation

 

Data has found that as many as one in five contractors are anticipating having to close their business down because of the crisis.
University of Edinburgh Business School and the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE)

 

 

What does the future hold?

With a new decade comes a desire for change and a lot of people had big intentions for 2020. Whether that was to find a new job, set-up a new business or embark on an exciting new career path. Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has flipped the world on its head and forced people to abandon these plans, which is resulting in a lot of angst and uncertainty.

For employers and recruiters, the fact that more people are wanting to change jobs is a massive positive, but we know that organisations are already making difficult decisions around their existing workforce. While job vacancies are starting to pick back up, opportunities have been limited over the past few months and this is naturally making job seekers feel nervous.

For help or advice on your business or career options, please contact us for some support.

 

 

Executive Grapevine 

4 Technical & Transformational skillsets in high demand

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Businesses digital transformation requirements have accelerated with the additional demand on technology due to current circumstances. Technical and Transformational skillsets are highly sought-after now more than ever. With any change you will need people who can play various critical roles and keep your business operational, relevant and accessible. Digital transformation is about more than the technology needed to create the transformation: In fact, the technology typically takes a back seat to the other capabilities needed to make your digital transformation a success.

So, with regard to building your team, you may need to think outside the box, moving beyond the typical IT talent pool and skillsets. Building out a team of people who can flex their technical muscles when needed but can also pivot to call upon their non-technical expertise will help your organization meet the growing digital demands of IT and the business.

As a business or hiring manager focus on the areas that enable people and processes to accelerate your company’s strategy. Lead in areas such as enterprise service management, IT branding and communications, technology business management, digital adoption, and change management – all of which require skills beyond the purely technical. Likewise, other areas of your team could expand into roles including, digital solutions consultants, delivery managers, and process improvement/automation specialists.

 

4 skillsets that are in high demand

So what should you be looking for, besides the requisite (and important) technical skill sets? Consider the kinds of people listed below – and don’t be afraid to bring people onto your team who don’t have a traditional IT career path. Folks who have not spent their whole career in IT can add some unique perspectives and take the team in directions not previously considered.

Consider how potential team members could play these roles in your organization:

1. Connectors

It goes without saying that the IT team of the 21st century must be able to work with its partners across the business. But looking for connectors means finding those people who not only are good with people but also can make connections across the organization.

Connectors know people as well as the work that is happening across the organization.

They are tuned in to what is happening, not only in IT but also in other areas of the business. They know people as well as the work that is happening across the organization. They know if an initiative in IT for the finance team is related to an initiative in another area of IT supporting the sales team – and they know the people to talk to in order to make the connections.

2. Challengers

Challengers are the people who help us ensure we are doing our best work. They think critically about the path forward and are not afraid to challenge the status quo. This is different from someone who always questions things and puts up roadblocks: Challengers think strategically about the path forward and ask the “what if” and “why not” questions that are critical to any transformation.

3. Agilists

While traditional agile methodologies are important in transformation activities, an Agilist in this context is someone who can adapt to changes and unexpected turns. By definition, transformation is “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance” – so successful digital transformation efforts must include people who can recognize the need to change direction and quickly pivot to the new plan. They model how to effectively respond to change and will help others adapt as well.

4. Navigators

If we need to change course, navigators ensure we adjust our GPS settings to account for the re-routing across all aspects of the initiative.

Digital transformation by its very nature can be a bit chaotic and can veer into the tendency to chase the next “bright shiny object.” Navigators define the route and help keep the ship headed in the right direction; they remind us where we are trying to go and the path we agreed to take. And if we need to change course, they help us ensure we adjust our GPS settings to account for the re-routing across all aspects of the initiative.

As the IT landscape continues to evolve, how we support and partner with the business will continue to evolve as well. Focusing on both technical and transformational skillsets in your business will set the stage for success today and in the future. For more information on how to hire digital experts for your business or find a job that will challenge you, please get in touch.

Jobs after Coronavirus

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Jobs after Coronavirus 

Coronavirus has disrupted the jobs market significantly and some companies have paused their recruitment plans. Industries such as hospitality and retail are continuing to decline however food production, technology and front-line key workers continue to be in high demand. We have seen people pivot into temporary work, or find jobs that are not part of their career plans. While this is great for a short-term solution, we must also look at what jobs are going to be in demand post Covid19. More notably we must also prepare for the increased demand on an individual’s tech/digital skills, regardless of the industry you want to work within.  

The tech industry has been able to retain people and hire new employees due to the huge rise in remote working. The situation has also called for employers to use this as an opportunity to upskill and reskill workers in order to prepare them for a new digital era.  

Tech giants such as Amazon and Facebook are continuing to hire for roles such as engineers and data scientists. Amazon is advertising for 20,000 tech roles whilst Facebook has announced 10,000 new roles within product and engineering teams. The rationale behind this continuous tech recruitment is that most of these jobs can be remote based.  

These include roles such as 

  • Software engineers 
  • Data scientists 
  • UX researchers 
  • Account management  
  • Communication specialists  

With so much uncertainty around COVID19 and jobs, there has never been a more imperative time to prioritize learning and to upskill your own digital skills and workforce. Those who furloughed are still able to undertake training via the new government guidelines  

If your employee undertakes training 

Furloughed employees can engage in training, as long as in undertaking the training the employee does not provide services to, or generate revenue for, or on behalf of their organisation or a linked or associated organisation. Furloughed employees should be encouraged to undertake training. 

 

Upskill your own digital skills and workforce.

Udemy, Google Digital Garage and Make It Click are three of the more popular platforms to upskill you digital skills. These platforms offer a range of online courses that will prepare you for the future of work and offer guidance at various level regardless of your ability.  

 

Google Digital Garage 

Discover a range of free learning content designed to help grow your business or jump-start your career. You can learn by selecting individual modules, or dive right in and take an entire course end-to-end. Below are 3 popular courses to get started.

Understand the basics of code

Fundamentals of Graphic Design

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

 

Udemy 

Udemy has also recently launched the Udemy Free Resource Centre which holds a collection of more than 150 free Udemy courses which will allow learners to upskill themselves and adapt to working remotely.  Currently the subject that has generated interest from most leaners is ‘Data Science’ and it has emerged as one of the top five topics learners are engaging with.   

Software Engineering 

Data Science 

Usability and UX Design 

Account Management  

Service Design 

Usability Testing and UX Research  

Service Design 

Data Analytics  

Digital Marketing 

AI 

 

Make IT Click

Graffiti Recruitment also offer free guided digital skills training via ‘Make IT Click’ for those that are unemployed and need support to get a job. We also offer training to those that want to retrain or improve their digital skills. We are part of the online centres network and have 137 bite sized courses ranging from:

Complete guide to setting up and using LinkedIn

Canva – online image designer and editor

Zoom – video meetings and webinars

We offer support virtually or over the phone. Check out some of the courses.  Want to know more please email hello@graffitirecruitment.co.uk or call 0330 2233 047. 

If you need support in upskilling or getting online please get in touch. 

Stay Safe, and remember; Lifelong learning is the future of work.  

 

How can businesses improve engagement with their most important asset — TALENT.

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A worker is no longer the average 9-to-5 employee. Rather, an organisation’s people are its talent, representing a diverse range of individuals including brand ambassadors, gig economy workers, social influencers and partners. These individuals reside both inside and outside the walls of the organisation.

In this new world of talent, it is important for businesses to recognise that their collective workforces often comprise individuals from different backgrounds and diversity who come with differing perspectives, experiences and goals. Organisations that acknowledge and value each individual’s experience place the entire person at

the centre of what they do, aiming to create a sustained and connected experience for all their people. To create an environment that values all people, bold leadership should champion the human experience and help ensure that the workforce is included.

Integrating the talent and customer experiences we see a common theme—the human connection matters more than anything else. Successful organisations should account for all humans within their ecosystem (including the workforce) and align them with the organisation’s purpose.

 

How businesses can unlock the talent experience.

Having understood how to engage customers beyond the walls of the organisation, many business owners are embracing the challenge of creating deeper, more meaningful engagement with their people. Drawing on research, we outline specific strategies that show how many companies are supporting the talent experience:

 

  1. Build a symbiotic workforce and customer experience.

 

Your workforce can be your best ambassador. Being authentic to your workforce, leading with values and supporting collaboration across the organisation strengthens the human experience for all people and helps provide an environment in which your workforce can thrive. Take the example of

 

  1. Value personal interaction.

 

In the new world of work, it can be difficult to evoke loyalty in the workforce, with more than half of all workers thinking about leaving their jobs according to a recent report on talent in the workforce. Retaining people typically requires building real relationships. Companies often design tech-enabled sensing and monitoring systems to track and gather feedback on the talent experience. However, the challenge is to identify the appropriate time to implement and use feedback rapidly. Pulsing surveys sense how and whether the workforce is having a good experience and whether they might leave the company. Making them a routine practice can enable real-time course correction if a person is contemplating changing jobs. Unlock the value of data to understand how and whether people are fulfilled in their work, but do not lose touch with the value of personal interaction. Many workers especially value opportunities to build relationships with each other and with leadership. Find time to meet face to face and use pulsing survey data to assess how a person is feeling in the moment to share positive stories, praise and mitigate challenges.

 

  1. Go beyond the four walls.

The marketing function and the CMO already serve as brand ambassadors for customers. In the new world of work, it can be increasingly difficult to uphold values and understand who aligns with your purpose outside of your walls. Similarly, what it means to be part of the workforce is changing dramatically, making it even more important for companies to have oversight of every person’s “talent experience.”  The goal is to bridge gaps and better account for the collective customer, workforce and partner experience.

 

Improving-the-talent-experiece-Graffiti-Recruitment

 

In this new world of talent, it is important for businesses to recognise that their collective workforces often comprise individuals from different backgrounds and diversities, who come with differing perspectives, experiences, and goals. Embrace IT! If you would like to explore other options to improve your talent engagement or need support on expanding your already fantastic team then please get in touch, we would love to hear from you. 

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