The global health crisis has resulted in significant changes to the way people are working and businesses are operating. While the market has seen a lot of uncertainty and businesses are navigating new challenges, major changes in consumer behaviour have also led to some organisations posting growth at this time.In June, BBC Business reported that UK retail sales partly recovered in May, highlighting that sales were boosted by a 42% rise at stores that sell goods such as hardware, furniture, and paint In March, goods such as bicycles and exercise gear, outdoor and indoor games, home and garden items, books, electrical goods, and coffee saw a significant increase in demand. In addition to this, online wine seller Naked Wines said revenue surged 81% in April and May.Understandably, there has been a reluctance to hire additional permanent staff into sales and marketing to cover growth. In such a changing market, there is the risk that sales could drop when the market returns to a level of normality. However, temporary cover and specialist interim professionals can provide much-needed support for businesses quickly and efficiently. Would your business benefit from utilising temporary recruitment?Business needs are always changing, and this is especially true in the current climate. Whether you need support for a day, a week, or for months on end, hiring interim support can be a seamless and time-efficient process. In the current landscape, losing someone in your team or from the recruitment process could have a significant effect on your position in the market. When determining whether your business would benefit from temporary cover, take some time to consider the following:How does this skills gap affect your leadership team and your current employees? If your customers aren’t receiving the high level of service they are accustomed to, what effect will this have on your market share? How would your company brand be perceived if your marketing and social media strategies aren’t managed appropriately to reflect the sensitivity in the market? Adding an interim specialist into your team could minimise the damage associated with the risks of reduced resources at this critical time. In addition, this would also ensure a seamless and easy handover when you do choose to hire a permanent staff member.Many temporary candidates are very experienced and have acquired a range of skills throughout their career. With minimal onboarding and training, interim professionals will hit the ground running in your business.Adapting your recruitment to run remote hiring processes While it is natural that there may be some level of uncertainty over your plans for hiring at the moment, it is our firm belief that recruiting top talent is still the best way to future-proof and grow your business. We also recognise that the established process for recruiting new members of staff, particularly face-to-face interviewing, needed to adapt quickly with the times - even if only on a temporary basis.To help support your business, we have put together an eBook to explain how you can run an effective recruitment process remotely. It covers:Attracting the right talent Assessing CVs and covering lettersUtilising video technology for interviewingMaking a strong offer to secure top talent Adapting your onboarding to a remote processDownload your copy of this comprehensive guide. How can we support your recruitment at this time?At Michael Page, we have established relationships with interim professionals in both sales and marketing right across the UK. Many professionals who choose to operate on a temporary basis are available immediately or with very short notice. To support our customers in managing interim recruitment at this time, we can payroll candidates for our clients so there is no requirement to add new employees onto payroll or the headcount of the business, which is an ideal alternative if you have a headcount freeze. This also offers an added level of flexibility – the time of the project, workload of the temporary candidate, benefits and the speed at which you can conduct an interview process. This means the candidate could adapt to your business needs and could start immediately.We are committed to helping you face the challenges of the global pandemic head-on. Across multiple sectors right now, there are urgent talent gaps that need to be filled and we are adapting our operations to be able to support our customer with whatever types of roles they need our help with, however unusual they may be.If you would like to have a confidential discussion about how we can support your, your team, or your business during this time, please feel free to get in touch with our Michael Page specialist consultants.Jon DolbearManager, Michael Page Sales and Marketing SalesLinksAbout usInterim and contractsSalary comparison toolContact usNews and updatesLinksSales recruitment – Q3 market updateSales recruitment - market update H1 2014Sales in the packaging industry – a market updateSales testimonialsInsight and adviceLinksWhy should you develop the talent in your sales team?What does a great sales CV look likeWhy should you use a recruiter in your job search?What are the effects of candidate uncertainty in the market?How to identify a top sales candidateDo you value your employees as much as you should?A flexible sales team: why you need dynamic working optionsWhy should you use a recruiter in your job search?Successfully prepare and pitch your sales solutionThe science of sales part 3 – ForecastingThe science of sales part 2 – Selling valueThe science of sales part 1 – Intelligence based prospectingInterview with Francois Stoop, vice president of sales Europe at First Sight In…Interim commercial managers bring positive changeSales recruitment: key skills to identify when hiring top talentPrinciples of persuasionManaging clientsSales networkingSales interview guideSelling in a slow marketEffective sales recruitment: the key behaviours of a top sales managerThe sixty seconds sales seriesSeven insightful interview questions to ask a sales candidateSales recruitment and employee ‘buy back’
