Handling the Headlines in London During COVID-19
At the moment, wherever you look, if you are still looking, the news has confirmed and indeed amplified our biggest fears.
Here are a selection of employment related headlines concerning job losses written in May, June and July of this year:
May: “6 million fear losing their job”
June: “millions could lose their jobs when furlough ends”
July: “over a million could lose their jobs”
Given its global impact, COVID-19 is likely to be a once in a lifetime event, yet despite its undoubted impact, we can also see that the job related headlines have been improving, albeit from a very low base. From “6 million” to “millions” to “over a million”. It is not good news. But it is certainly not as bad as was initially feared.
We need to put headlines in context where we can. Here are our other recommendations for handling the headlines:
Go to the Real-Time Data at the Coalface
The most recent UK Report on Jobs (published August 8th by KPMG and the REC) confirmed:
“that recruitment activity moved closer to stabilisation in July….with the softest rates of decline seen for five months, it’s encouraging to see the downturn in recruitment easing as parts of the economy reopen”
Why is this important?
The above can be relied on. It is not opinion, or sensationalism. It is fact gleaned from a weighty report compiled by IHS Markit – a company who support over 90% of the largest organisations in the world. They have more than 5,000 analysts, data scientists, financial experts and industry specialists dedicated to providing deep intelligence across any number of industries and markets. They survey 400+ recruitment and employment companies (of which Australasian is one) to understand what is happening in the wider UK job market on a monthly basis.
Their results were reflected in our own. We saw the return of permanent hiring in July, after a three-month hiatus. We saw more temporary vacancies being filled. We didn’t see volumes anywhere near where they were this time last year, but we saw improvement from a low base – we saw people getting jobs in the midst of pandemic. That’s a headline worth heeding from evidence-based research of the companies like ourselves actually finding people jobs.
Read Less News
It‘s important at a time like this to monitor how much news you are watching and reading. Too much of it could imperceptibly (and then perceptibly) increase your anxiety and add pressure. A frustrating outcome when the realities may not be, or end up being, as bad as they initially seem.
Instead of trying to answer unanswerable questions, rather hone your soft skills, particularly adaptability. Focus on the present – do your best today, and don’t spend time thinking about tomorrow – it will arrive soon enough.
Adapt your mindset and check that you are focusing on what you can control, as opposed to what you cannot. This is especially pertinent to your thinking. Only you can decide how you are going to respond to this period of uncertainty. Only you can decide your perspective.
If you are a candidate looking for your next temporary or permanent office support role in London, contact our team so we can help you with your search support@australasian.co.uk
Take care, stay safe and stay positive and we hope to see you soon!
Australasian Recruitment Company