When an economic downturn hits, it’s no surprise that recruitment is dropped from the priority list. When businesses pivot away from growth and towards cost optimization, they look to fulfill their objectives with their current resources and headcount (giving rise to the infamous phrase ‘do more with less’). And that’s even before orgs turn to more drastic measures such as lay-offs and reorgs.

However, although the industry outlook may seem bleak, there are still companies who are actively hiring – whether that’s to fill skills gaps after a re-org, or simply because they are still growing. These companies are facing a drastically different hiring market than they’re used to, with the added pressure of making every decision count. In this deep dive, we will discuss how things have changed, and key strategies to making the daunting task of hiring in a downturn that bit more straightforward.