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It’s hard to believe that a second wave of COVID-19 cases is on the rise. This week alone, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 5% in 36 states. Additionally, this week the U.S. reported an average of nearly 70,000 new cases each day (Oct. 20-27). This has been the highest seven-day average so far, according to a CNBC analysis. And in Chicago, where I live, meals inside restaurants are once again suspended.

This all feels like we’re back where we started in March. In fact, it feels like the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors keeps waking up and reliving the same day! While a second wave is not good news, the only good news is that we have experienced this before and have learned from it. Below are 7 tips staffing companies need to remember to stay on top and be successful as we move into the winter months.

1. Switch to a cloud-based staffing software solution

If you don’t already have a cloud-based staffing software solution, now is the time to make the switch. One of the main reasons is that your staffing company can operate safely and productively from home. Even if your company is going to the office now, it is critical to be prepared in case it is no longer safe to have the entire team in the office. As we know for the last time, the situation changed quickly like the switch of a button. One minute our team was in the office and the next minute we left and wouldn’t be back for months.

Cloud-based staffing software gives your team the ability to work from anywhere. While this is important during current times, in normal times it is also a major benefit as recruiters visit clients on the go. They can easily enter their notes while jumping between clients.

Another important benefit is the security aspect. There has been an increase in compromised data during the pandemic. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, hackers are on the prowl. They have been targeting remote workers as they know that companies were forced to fight and implement irregular security protocols. A good cloud-based staffing software solution will invest in high-level data security. However, it is extremely important to note that not all staffing software vendors invest in the same amount of security. It is essential to ask yourself how secure your data will be when you switch to a cloud solution. Never assume that your data is safe. Features of a secure cloud solution include:

• The data is stored in a high-level data center. Tier 3 and Tier 4 data centers provide the highest security with uptime of approximately 99.982% and 99.995% respectively.

• Cloud data is stored in multiple data centers, so in case “the cloud goes down,” your data is still backed up and safe in another.

• There are multiple security protocols in the data center itself, including a host of backup power sources, inter-room fingerprint access, locked cages, 24-hour monitoring, and armed guards. Only a few key IT people in the software company should have access to the physical data.

• Backups run daily. Ideally, incremental backups are done throughout the day with a full backup at the end of each day.

• Several layers of firewall protection have been implemented.

2. Invest in the right technology for conducting interviews

If your staff works at home, candidates will also not be able to attend an interview. Find the right interview platform for your company. Either simply through a webinar platform or professional video interview software. Finding the right solution for your company is imperative so that recruiters can continue conducting interviews without missing a beat. Investing in the right interview technology is important not only to keep your business running smoothly, but also to keep it looking professional from the candidate’s perspective during an interview.

3. Partner with high demand industries

This may mean the need to venture into new lines of business that you have never worked in before. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of high-demand industries during the pandemic, now is the time to diversify into these lines of business. Some of the high-demand industries include: food / alcohol / grocery, personal / medical devices, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, delivery services, trucking / rail, paper products, antibacterial / cleaning products, and more. These are all industries worth targeting to keep your business strong. Having a diversified portfolio in tough times is more important than ever.

You should also look for companies that are hiring in massive numbers. Every day on LinkedIn News, LinkedIn updates its “Here’s Who’s Hiring Right Now” list. It’s a list that would be worth checking every morning to see if there are companies you can partner with.

4. Use the capabilities of your ATS / CRM

The data stored in your ATS / CRM is more valuable than you think. Think of all the clients and candidates that you have stored in your database. You can have hundreds or even thousands of clients and candidates. You can find new businesses and candidates right in front of you! The key is knowing how to search.

Looking for clients

Searching by industry, state, and customer location is the most basic, yet powerful search. If you are trying to target those industries with high demand, it would be helpful to search by industry, location (start with companies near you), and an inactive status (which means you are not currently doing business with them). A “full-text search” is another powerful search feature that allows you to search for key terms in each customer profile. If you want to search for “doctor,” it will search for all customers who have the word “doctor” somewhere in their profile, be it in an email, text message, note, comment, and so on. Not all ATS / CRM solutions have “full-text search”, but if yours does have that feature, you should make sure to take advantage of it.

The candidate’s last contact search, work orders, and employment history are also unique searches that may be valuable to you. Last Contacted, would allow you to search for companies that you have not worked with recently, removing companies that you recently contacted that did not need services. Searching by work order is beneficial because it can identify companies that you have worked with in the past. There may be clients on the list that you haven’t contacted in a while who could use your services. The candidate’s employment history search is a one-time search that may not immediately come to mind. This allows you to search a candidate’s profile for companies they have worked for in the past. It is a way to find new clients that are not in your system yet.

As you find customers you want to reach, be sure to add them to a pipeline. This is an effective way to keep track of the companies you found in your search so that you can start connecting with them.

Looking for candidates

Similarly, you can use the search capabilities in your staffing software to find candidates. Searching by position, skills, and industry is a good basic search to start with. One thing you might consider is looking for candidates who work in industries that are not doing well. They may be looking for work or even out of work. You may find overlaps in their skills or employment history that would qualify them to be placed in a different industry that is in higher demand. As with clients, the search by date of last contact is also a valuable search to identify candidates that you have not contacted at some point. As you find candidates that you want to reach out to, make sure you’re also building a portfolio of candidates, so that you can easily scroll down the list when you’re ready to contact them.

5. Continue communication with customers

Remember to maintain frequent communication with clients, even if they have no staffing needs. Maintain strong relationships with your clients by maintaining communication and being a resource to them so that when they are ready to hire again, you will be at the top of their minds. Businesses can simply send resources to clients every two weeks, such as blog articles, e-books, information on industry webinars, webinars you are hosting, and more. These are all ways to continue building relationships with your clients in a long-term partnership.

6. Maintain marketing

Often times, the marketing budget is the first line to be cut in tough times. If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic and previous recessions, reducing your marketing resources may be the worst thing you can do. Marketing your business in tough times is crucial for a couple of reasons:

1. Clients and candidates know that you are still in business.

2. Your company looks strong.

If a candidate or client visits your website or social media pages, you want them to know right away that you are in business. If you stay quiet and they see no activity, they may assume that you are no longer in business. This also applies to marketing emails. If customers, prospects, and candidates don’t see any email communication during these times, they’ll quickly forget about you. Don’t forget or get lost in the confusion. Keep communicating and promoting your company!

By communicating through social media, emails, and other marketing channels, your business also looks solid. Candidates and clients will see that you are still an active company and see you as an industry leader they can turn to.

7. Stay positive

Perhaps the last and most important tip (perhaps the most difficult) is Stay positive. The idea of ​​going backwards instead of moving forward with the state of the COVID-19 pandemic can be difficult, but you need to keep your head up and move on. Staying positive will help you be successful and will also help your team members stay motivated. Also make sure you find time to do the things that make you happy and unzipped, whether it’s cooking, yoga, going for a walk, bingeing shows on Netflix, etc. Taking the time to do the things you love will help you stay positive!