Accustomed to working with digital and automated applicant bases, videoconference interviews, online evaluations and presence on social networks, the recruitment consultants were able to continue their activity despite the mandatory isolation and social distancing.
But the sudden change of context altered the labor market: many searches were suspended and candidates with jobs hesitate to change jobs, although some profiles stand out and there are sectors with demand.
"The items that are slowed down are energy, gas and oil, airlines, tourism, entertainment and gastronomy, which cut searches at all levels. The automotive sector, for its part, accentuated the lower activity it had already been having," reveals a iProUP Laura Bitocco, director of Hidalgo y Asociados.
At the same time, she adds, "fintech offerings remain, those linked to the Knowledge Economy sector, particularly computing, and e-commerce: from customer service, to designers and specialists in advertising, digital marketing and product strategy Also, some positions in the food industry or management in the Finance and Operations areas. "
Yael Hansani, associate business manager of the consulting firm Ghidini Rodil, agrees with this vision. "The volume of searches fell mainly in the industries and in the energy and oil sector," the executive told iProUP.
"The item that before the pandemic was not thinking of turning to the technological paradigm had to be done by force. Then the demand for companies grew due to the need to anticipate having profiles in their structure that would help them position their business. The most requested are developers, IT security professionals and functional analysts, "he completes.
Ezequiel Arcioni, Executive Manager of Michael Page Argentina, adds to iProUP that the most affected nationwide in April were Sales, with 42%; and Commercial Development, with 15%.
"This generated that six out of ten Argentine companies have made the determination to freeze their investments, mainly those in the automotive, metallurgical, construction, real estate and manufacturing sectors," he maintains.
However, he warns: "The sectors that maintained and even increased their demands for professionals were facilities (factories), legal, IT and human resources."
In the same sense, Amalia Vanoli, director of Tiempo Real Consultores, assures: "Searches in the hotel market and non-critical industrial production, such as automotive and energy, were suspended, but those of technology and food were covered. Specific profiles were opened for the field, food, digital marketing and technology to support the new way of working in companies. "
Likewise, eventual hiring modalities, which allow filling positions to respond to a situation or seasonality, experienced growth. Alejandro Servide, director of Professionals of Randstad Argentina, confides to iProUP: "One opportunity that this crisis poses is the temporary hiring of professional and executive positions, since before the pandemic there were not so many."
"Incorporation is taking place for a specified period to replace key positions, such as a supervisor or manager who is on leave as a risk group," exemplifies Servide.
Orders for casual staff for operational profiles in mass consumption, food, logistics, warehouses, retail and supermarkets also grew. "Any increase in these positions implies, at the same time, the generation of a position of leadership or supervision," he clarifies.
Oriented to different job profiles, sectors and contracting modalities, the ten main consultants with active searches are listed below and in alphabetical order:
1. - Adecco: with 40 branches in the country, for more than 30 years it has been developing a search and selection of temporary and permanent staff.
What are they looking for today: operators; electromechanical technicians and maintenance; and analysts; health and safety, quality control, marketing and human resources.
2. - Bayton: With 40 years of experience, it focuses on recruiting temporary and permanent employees in finance, technology, hospitality, industry, logistics and renewable energy.
What are they looking for today: operators, administrators, Chemical / Food Engineering students; and commercial, quality control, management, and analytical support analysts.
3. Ghidini Rodil: Founded in 1988, it is dedicated to the selection of professionals and executives out of agreement: from interns and young professionals to managerial and managerial positions.
What are they looking for today: human resources and administrative-financial managers, regional auditors, and technology professionals.
5. - Manpower: It is oriented to the search for temporary and permanent personnel for companies in all sectors. His Experis brand focuses on IT, Finance and Engineering.
What are they looking for today: sellers; chemical technicians; sales and management analysts; administrative finance; head of customer services and quality manager.
6. - Michael Page: Member of Page Group, specializes in medium and high management for the different areas of companies.
What are they looking for today: finance, legal and supply chain professionals; software / systems engineers
7.- Randstad: With 37 branches, it develops searches for temporary employees and outsourcing. He also recruits young professionals, bosses, managers and directors under permanent recruitment.
What are they looking for today: ecommerce and digital advertising experts; commercial, tax, foreign trade, business intelligence analysts; engineers; technical leaders and project supervisors
8 - Real Time: Specialized in the IT field since 1973, she also focuses on managerial profiles, middle managers and highly complex positions.
What are they looking for today: specific profiles for agriculture, food, digital marketing and technology to support the home office
9. - Value: With almost 50 years in the market, it focuses on senior executives and provides executive search and leadership consulting services for local and multinational firms.
What are they looking for today: positions for agribusiness, technology, human resources, finance and logistics.
10. - Wall Chase: It is aimed at recruiting executives and professionals from different sectors of activity.
What are they looking for today: actuarial specialists; commercial managers; sales managers and internal control managers.
The use of technology to support the search, recruitment, and even induction processes of personnel is widespread. In fact, it guaranteed the continuity of operations in the consulting sector.
However, warns Bitocco, from Hidalgo & Asociados, a 100% digitalized and remote process is not adapted for some projects, such as the Young Professionals plans that are organized every year by companies and are usually first job opportunities for students and recent graduates.
"Unlike other professional searches, in this case it is necessary to have a lot of involvement from the leader. It is also necessary to have a more personalized induction scheme and with a lot of support and presence of the instructor," says the specialist.
From Randstad, Servide points out that there is some delay in searches, especially in the professional segment, "because not all companies are in a position to do the induction and training processes for the new employee in a digitalized way." And she adds that "this delay will continue until the isolation begins to be relaxed."
But searches and recruitments are maintained, without major changes, in their digital version. "The process did not change too much: the CV in hand has not been used for a long time and we were already publishing on social networks, job sites and email chains of the universities," says Hansani.
And he adds: "At the beginning of the quarantine, you could not do the worry tests, but now it is possible. Now the interviews are 100% virtual and many organizations have modern systems. Work has been done to optimize operational management."
The means for research and contact with the candidates "remain the same, but the interviews and assessments today are all virtual," Ana Peire, Senior Associate at the consulting firm Valuar, tells iProUP.
"Although we consider that the personal meeting continues to be richer, we also work very well digitally, offering the executive a videoconference. Also, we continue to carry out normally the exhaustive verification of market references," Peire completes.
The consultancy firm Tiempo Real has been conducting interviews by virtual means for three years, such as Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp, depending on the availability of the applicant. "We only did it personally with those candidates who fit the profile in a tight way and thus resolved the shortlist to present," says Vanoli.
According to the executive, "Currently the whole process is virtual: we start with an online interview and make a second contact where we pose situations to be solved - mini assessment - that requires the candidate to make, for example, a presentation to assess other competencies that are usually perceived in a face-to-face interview without requiring this additional stage. "
"Our psychologists do the psychotechnical evaluation by Skype or Zoom. We formalize the presentation, our clients interview online and then likewise we share their feedback and our opinion until the election of the candidate to enter," says Vanoli.
With digital tools and replacing face-to-face contact, consultants go through the quarantine with a good level of searches, and with profiles adapted to a new job market.