A recruitment agency says as Jersey moves out of lockdown, businesses need to make better use of the talent that is already here, breaking the cycle of employing people from outside the island.
ASL International says after months of uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic, businesses are looking to fill the vacancies as the economy gets going again. The number of employees sent on secondment to work in other industries during the crisis showed how many people were able to adapt their skills to work in sectors they had not worked in before.
Heidi Gibaut, Managing Director of ASL, commented: “What the crisis has taught us is that we have a workforce here that’s able to transfer skills from one sector to another, and we should use them rather than always bringing people in from outside the island. If we look at the government and commercial sectors, there is no reason why the skills learned in hospitality, retail or construction shouldn’t be transferable. It is time to break the cycle of bringing in people from outside the island. Jersey has a skilled workforce and it is here now”.
ASL says a recent rise in the number of businesses using automated systems that match candidates against set criteria means they are missing out on experienced and talented people that only a face-to-face meeting will provide. And employers could be saving time and money on the recruitment process by using an agency to do most of the work.
“Businesses are under a great deal of pressure now and don’t have the time to sift through dozens of applications. Agencies that offer a tailored shortlisting service take the time to get to know their clients making it easier to match candidates who are suitable for the role. With the number of people seeking work rising because of the virus, businesses will save time and money if they use an agency to find the right people for the roles that need filling. ASL can take that assistance to the next level and complete all first stage interviews including testing and writing interview questions so that clients can concentrate on hiring the right person rather than the administration which comes from a good, well run campaign. The crisis has meant they already have enough to worry about,” commented Heidi.
