It is, perhaps, no surprise that we are already seeing the impact of coronavirus fears (A.K.A. Covid-19).
The last 2 weeks alone have seen clients halting their recruitment processes and candidates cancelling interviews.
Of course, if you have symptoms of Covid-19 then you should follow NHS advice. The same goes if you have been in contact with anyone who has travelled to severely affected countries.
If not, on the client-side, unless remote working is an option, a freeze on recruitment might not be the best course of action at this time. Namely because, if we do reach epidemic levels, Boris Johnson projects that up to a 5th of UK workers could be off sick at the same time. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to ensure your teams are as fully staffed as possible while you can. International travel aspects aside, if the UK does reach epidemic levels, there are a good few months before the summer might ease the situation. Therefore, if you are in a position to recruit or attend an interview, do it sooner rather than later. If you are very worried about the spread, it is worth remembering that telephone and video interviews are also good options.
That said, it is understandable that people are keen to minimise unnecessary travel and contact. Therefore, when you are travelling it is a good idea to wash your hands frequently and to avoid shaking hands. But, at this point in time, if you are a candidate or client, there is no reason to avoid interviews altogether unless you have been told to self-isolate. If you would be required to travel internationally to attend or give an interview, then you should consider whether this is wise. However, at the time of writing, the number of cases in the UK stands at 90. This was according to newspaper and broadcasted reports.
With this in mind, it is not certain that the UK will see an epidemic. What has become clear though is that there will be a global economic impact.
While the worst-case scenarios being published are certainly alarming we’re not at the worst-case scenario yet. What is alarming is the impact all this is likely to have on the economy. In an increasingly globalized world, more and more businesses rely on the ability to travel internationally when it comes to their business strategies.
What does this mean for candidates who are interviewing?
You’ve made an application; you’ve secured an interview – should you still go?
Unless you have been told to self-isolate, the situation evolves to epidemic levels and the client postpones or the government issue updated advice which states you should not leave the house, then, yes, you should absolutely attend.
You’ve prepared, you’ve battled through the public transport system, and you’ve attended your interview. You’re keen for an outcome but the business postpones a decision. Should you worry?
If you are not currently in work, it is advisable to keep your job search going. However, a delay in the decision-making process is not that unusual. Coronavirus aside, any number of factors can cause delays. These might include managers being called to travel at short notice, final stage budget authorisation for the department or someone being off sick. Depending on how the situation with Coronavirus develops, we could see sickness rates affecting decisions in nearly every business in the UK. While this is far from ideal, we can assure you that, if this does happen, both Amdas staff and our clients will be working hard to keep our candidates updated as much as possible.
If you are worried about Corona Virus, you can view the Government Website here
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