How the 'new normal' way of working has developed in a year
O'donoghue, National Recruitment Federation President, Donal
In the same way that the virtual National Recruitment Federation Skillnet International Women’s Day event is different to its normal format, the so-called ‘new normal’ continues to impact upon working routines everywhere.
“The world of work has changed over the past 12 months, with the emergence of a two-tier labour market,” Donal O’Donoghue, president of National Recruitment Federation, explains.
“On one hand, some sectors have been decimated where employment has almost ground to a halt due to restrictions. On the other, sectors where work can be done remotely have adjusted and transitioned well.
"A major challenge has been transitioning company culture from the real world to the virtual world.”
Donal points to plush offices rendered irrelevant and vacant, with many new joiners to organisations over the past year having yet to physically meet their colleagues or set foot into the company premises.
"Culture, although difficult to quantify, can be a driver and enabler of business," he says.
"It is a major factor in attracting and retaining talent. Conversely, if not proactively managed, an organisation’s culture may be a barrier to the change needed for organisation to thrive post-pandemic.”
Looking to the world beyond Covid-19, he believes a range of new positions and occupations will likely emerge: "Employers are obliged to ensure that employees have a safe working environment.
"Following that vein, workplace auditors and designers are now in demand within the health and safety profession.
"Roles associated with fighting the spread of the pandemic, such ‘contract-tracers’ and ‘temperature checkers’ were not part of the vernacular 12 months ago but are now in demand.”
Demand is also strong within accountancy and finance, technology, cyber security, procurement, risk, digital, marketing, communications, and business change.
“We have seen an uplift for roles within the human resources profession," Donal points out.
"Roles in workforce planning, diversity, and inclusion, wellbeing and organisational design are plentiful as organisations position themselves for post-pandemic growth."
While the post-pandemic landscape will include casualties across multiple sectors, the overall economy has been resilient and outperformed many of our European counterparts.
“We have seen the unprecedented hit in the hospitality, retail, personal services, and tourism sectors," Donal says. "Conversely, the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and ICT sectors have had strong performances.
"Fortunately, the timing of the pandemic coincided with public finances being in good shape. The budget deficit in 2020 is expected to be €19bn, or 5.5% of GDP, one of the smallest in Europe."
Brexit, as the other major event of 2021 so far, has created a lack of security for EU workers in the UK, many of whom are considering opportunities to work and live in Ireland.
“From a talent perspective, the impact has been an increase in applications from workers based in the UK. The labour market, in the knowledge economy, remains buoyant.
"These additions to the labour market are welcomed and there is competition to attract workers who have developed their career in the UK and now wish to return to Ireland.”
Founded in 1970, the NRF seeks to provide its members with the optimum service in terms of support, communication, advice sharing and problem-solving to promote professional competence within the profession.
The NRF has inaugurated a formal education programme in recruitment practice to ensure all new entrants to the profession have a solid ground in legislation, customer service operations, and sales.
This will equip the graduates of the programme with the tools and knowledge to provide a quality service to clients and candidates alike.
The three-year honours degree in recruitment practice involves the apprenticeship learning model where the recruitment executive — whether a school-leaver, new recruit or existing employee — is retained by a recruitment agency and learns on the job and through online tutorials, while attending college one day a week.
Donal says: "One of the challenges facing the talent and recruitment profession over recent years has been a skills shortage.
“To address this, the NRF partnered with the National College of Ireland to develop an undergraduate degree, specifically for recruitment and talent professionals.
"It is delivered as part of the national apprenticeship programme, which means the learners can ‘earn while they learn’."
The apprentices work four days per week in an approved company and study one day per week with the National College of Ireland.
Following the three-year apprenticeship, the learner becomes a qualified recruitment executive, with a QQI level 8 honours degree in recruitment practice.
Donal says:
Given that working from home has now become now a growing reality over the past year, with even its own acronym — WFH — it seems a permanent part of future practice.
“Before the pandemic remote working was often a privilege confined to long-tenured employees, whereas the success of the ‘experiment’ has rapidly accelerated trust for many more workers, with anecdotal feedback that productivity levels have remained strong.”
Roles that involve research, writing, creativity or analysis are more suited to a quiet environment for concentration, while roles in business development, trading and where high levels of collaboration are needed must find new ways to maintain the energy synonymous with an office environment.
The restrictions have allowed some employees to shape their role, according to how it can best be delivered.
“There has been research in Ireland and internationally which suggests that the preference of most office workers is for a hybrid of office and remote working to remain after the pandemic," says Donal.
"This could have many positive effects such as: reducing our carbon footprint, traffic decongestion, and improving retention of key workers due to the ability to work in a manner that suits the individual, and allows them to work to their potential.
"Employers would potentially benefit from a reduced requirement for office space, plus the ability to access talent outside their usual commuting catchment area. It sounds like a ‘win-win’ to me.”