The COVID-19 pandemic has radically
changed many aspects of our lives,
particularly work. While some workers
are able to work from home and others
are furloughed, many are finding
themselves redeployed, particularly those
in sectors where business activity has all
but ceased.
In the hospitality and entertainment sectors in particular,
companies have found themselves facing a collapse in demand.
Some of the most innovative companies have responded by
redeploying their workers to an area that has seen demand
increase.
The result is the biggest redeployment of labour since the
Second World War. Workers and companies have had to adjust
quickly to the new reality and lend their skills where they can be
most useful.
A temporary change of career
In some cases, it’s obvious where people can make the most
difference. Several airlines, with their planes mostly grounded,
have redeployed flight attendants to work in healthcare. This
makes sense because flight attendants are trained to work
calmly in an emergency and, though they aren’t going to be
treating patients, they also have first aid training.
Other workers have seen their skills redeployed without having
to change employers or where they work. Many companies have
pivoted during the crisis to provide essential products, such as
ventilators or hand sanitizer. In these cases, workers have had to
adapt their skills, rather than take on a completely new role.
Outside of the healthcare sector, other industries are seeing a
surge in demand too. Supermarkets and grocery suppliers have
been recruiting more people to cope with a change in shopping
patterns that many have described as being similar to Christmas
grocery shopping, as people stock-up for isolation. In the US,
CVS Health has turned to furloughed workers from hotel
chains Hilton and Marriott to fill 50,000 vacancies, while Sysco
Corporation, which distributes food to restaurants, is loaning its
workers to Kroger supermarkets.
In self-employed sectors, redeploying can be a trickier
proposition as workers have to find openings themselves.
However, many of those picking up shifts in supermarkets have
been actors, singers and dancers, who were abruptly left without
work when theatres closed. Meanwhile, gig economy firm Uber
has created a Work Hub for its drivers to make them aware
of possibilities for delivery work, freight transport and other
options.
Connecting skills supply and demand
Of course, not every worker who is furloughed or loses their
job can immediately redeploy to an area where their skills are in
demand. In just two weeks after the shutdown began in the US,
for example, more than 10 million workers filed unemployment
benefit claims. Not all of them would be able to find an opening
for their skills and quickly take it up.
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However, many third parties have created programs to help
available workers find openings appropriate to their skills.
The Adecco Group, for example, is working with clients and
their staff to help them make the best use of their skills, and
Accenture has created a platform that connects companies that
are laying-off or furloughing workers with businesses that have
hiring needs.
There have been private-public partnerships in some countries
too. In France, Opération Mobilisation Emploi, launched by
the French Ministry of Labour, pools jobs in essential sectors,
such as healthcare, agriculture, transport, logistics, energy, and
telecommunications, and has advertised more than 10,000
positions already.
The pandemic has given businesses an opportunity to
demonstrate their agility and resilience in the face of a crisis.
In cooperation with the public sector, they have provided vital
solutions in difficult times. As we adjust to the new normal of
the post-COVID world, we may see more emphasis on upskilling
and reskilling to provide greater economic flexibility.