Digital tips for getting a job during Covid-19

The trends in the job market are fast fluctuating and without doubt largely influenced by digital call and the Covid-19 pandemic effects. Both employers and employees are mandated to adjust to fit in else risk retrenchment and business closure.

The unemployed, moving from door to door seeking jobs, too have to re-evaluate their approach if they are to finally nail down any form of formal employment in these tough times.

In the Zoom meeting dubbed ‘Job innovation during lockdown’, it was emphasised that online platforms are the new major conduits between prospective employers and candidates.

In his keynote address, Brian Ntambirweki, the CEO Brighter Monday Uganda, said Ugandans should expect to see more adoption of tech in the sector. Ntambirweki urged the job fraternity to embrace new modalities that can take them through the current Covid-19 stressed environment up to the post pandemic era.

“The Covid-19 pandemic brought major changes to the job market and forced us to change a lot from how we work and how we can stay productive with remote work arrangements. These changes also made us very resilient and we think that some of the changes occasioned by the pandemic are going to stay with us for a while such as adopting a hybrid-working model that allows people to work from home,” he advised.

The changes are not limited to Covid-19 effects but also technology in recruitment, job transitions and business outsourcing.

Lately, the employers are increasingly prioritising cultural fit as much as they do skills. Companies are willing to hold out for a candidate that meets these requirements because everything else can be acquired through training.

Covid-19 has also led to the creation of “essential sectors” that must continue running regardless of the economic climate. 

The jobs within these sectors will continue being sought after, and I’d encourage people to acquire skills that can serve in these sectors.

The recruitment element is also undergoing some changes with companies adopting technology to handle job applications, interviews and on boarding - thus improving efficiency and saving time and resources. We expect to see more adoption of tech in the sector.

Adopt or bust 

Regarding the future of recruitment, the job experts believe that remote working will continue as companies adopt hybrid-working arrangements where most industries adopt this as a default. More companies are going to rely on technology to make the recruitment process more transparent, efficient as well as to manage costs.

Ntambirweki says several job companies have developed intuitive products and services to attract the best recruits by embracing digital technology. For example at Brighter Monday Uganda they have an application ‘Best Match product’ which uses ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘Machine Learning’ to automatically screen applications and digital resumes of the candidates and provide the ten best candidates in 10 days after listing the job advert. 

They provide the employer with a complimentary assessment to make sure that the selected candidates have the core competencies. 

The job companies also have tracking technology that notifies the candidate before they submit their application whether they are suitable depending on the job description.

Available research indicates that over the past year, the top hiring sectors include; banking, finance, insurance, telecoms, NGOs, advertising, media, communications and healthcare.

Outsourcing on the rise

All said, there seems to be a rise of targeted sourcing among organisations, which trickles down to self-positioning, expertise and to a large extent luck.

Every organisation wants the best candidate in the shortest possible time, which is why targeted sourcing is on the rise. 

“Regarding assessments for outsourcing, we have a number of automated tests on our platform that help our customers to test and objectively choose the best candidates based on their scores and understanding of the core competencies of their roles,” the experts clarified.

They advise all jobseekers to always have sufficient preparation because there will continue to be great demand for skilled people especially in the digital economy and essential sectors.