recruitment Trusted Recruiter

Emma Summers Trusted RecruiterWith the new year and a new decade just around the corner, the end of 2019 will mark the closing of a decade of growth for the assistive technology, access and mobility sector… but what will 2020 bring, particularly in terms of recruitment?

Specialising in recruiting for the industry, Emma Summers, Business Development Executive for Trusted Recruiter, shares her expert insights about what the next 12 months have in store for recruiting in the industry.

By Emma Summers

Advertisement | Continue story below

Candidates in control

We are now in a candidate-driven market due to the number of available opportunities as a result of industry growth – candidates are now in control of who they can work for and have more options as to what businesses require their level of industry experience.

This is set to continue in 2020 as candidates are in the driving seat and are being more selective about who they want to work for and, as a result, means company’s need to work harder to woo the best candidates.

Going into 2020, it is important for companies that are recruiting to really consider what the experience is like for candidates?

A good idea may be for companies to speak to current and past employees to gain an understanding of what their feelings, behaviours, attitudes and overall perception was to the recruitment process, from screening to interviewing to hiring.

This can help shape and improve the recruitment process going forward.

When interviewing, is there flexibility, whether it is a telephone interview, meeting at a mutual location or meeting at the business out-of-hours? Organising the meeting in a timely manner that can fit around a candidate’s current work commitments could prove the deciding factor in securing that star candidate.

All these points are very important as candidates who have a positive experience through the recruitment process will be more likely to accept the job offer, re-apply in the future and refer friends & family to a business.

For mobility companies planning to expand their teams in 2020, this will have a vital impact on their recruitment success in 2020.

Service Engineers in demand

The demand we have seen this year for engineers in the industry has grown rapidly in the last six months.

This will continue to increase into 2020 for sure, with more equipment being installed into the homes of the elderly and disabled to support their independence in the comfort of their own homes.

Also, with the potential of a new government investing significantly more funding into the NHS and social care, there will be more need for qualified engineers to install, test and demonstrate more equipment.

This demand is inevitably leading to an increase in salary expectations, with experienced industry service engineers often having alternative options available.

Employers may benefit from looking outside the industry for engineers with experience another field and investing in training them for the mobility, access and independent living sector.

Fresh opportunities

Over 2019, we have seen a growing trend towards companies merging and restructuring their business which has made way for more opportunities.

Companies, and in particular retailers, are having to broaden their focus on a wider product range to be in line with current trends within the industry, requiring new employees with new skillsets as 2020 gets underway.

For a retailer who currently sells mobility aids, it may be worth looking to increase their portfolio by introducing new ranges, such as pressure care products, to help expand their current customer base and also increase sales.

As more companies look to diversify, it will continue to open up and fuel recruitment opportunities in the sector.

Undoubtedly, we will also see more merges and buyouts in 2020, with many changes throughout the industry which we hope will have a positive impact.

Overall

The outlook looks positive but we should all consider what the outcome of Brexit will be and how that will affect every facet of the industry in 2020, impacting foreign investment and trade. With so much uncertainty, it is yet to be known where this will take recruitment in 2020.

I am positive that recruitment within the assistive technology, mobility and access sector will continue to grow in the new year, with new opportunities and new faces.

See the latest jobs from Trusted Recruiter searching for new, experienced candidates for a variety of roles.

THIIS ROUND-UP
Join the 3,750+ mobility professionals who stay informed with THIIS' twice-weekly industry updates.
We respect your privacy
https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/recruitment-Trusted-Recruiter.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/recruitment-Trusted-Recruiter-150x150.jpgCalvin BarnettKnowledge HubNewsroomRecruitment Tipsassistive technology,Brexit,Emma Summers,independent living,Mobility,recruitment,recruitment candidates,service engineers,Trusted RecruiterWith the new year and a new decade just around the corner, the end of 2019 will mark the closing of a decade of growth for the assistive technology, access and mobility sector… but what will 2020 bring, particularly in terms of recruitment? Specialising in recruiting for the industry, Emma...News, views & products for mobility, access and independent living professionals