The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty for many businesses, employees and industries around the world, but fortunately there has also been a dramatic increase in the demand for certain key worker positions and so an unprecedented rise in hiring.
Key workers are the working professionals who are essential to helping the nation tackle and survive the COVID-19 pandemic, including NHS workers, food chain supply workers, utility workers, public safety enforcement and more.
Here are the 4 job roles that are in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic:
NHS Staff
As our outstanding health care system works to manage the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a surge in the demand for skilled NHS workers. The NHS has asked for all previous workers at all levels to return to help manage the pressure that many hospitals are starting to feel.
This includes professionals from including:
Primary Care workers; which is the first line of support and contact for all patients needing to use the NHS. For example GP’s, Pharmacies, Dentists and Optometry.
Secondary Care workers; also known as hospital and community care and include the professionals who help with more specific health issues within hospitals, clinics and sometimes the community. For example Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists and more.
Additional workers; these are all the other services that are essential to keep the NHS moving smoothly but may not be critical for COVID-19. For example, ambulance workers, care workers and management.
Supermarkets and Production
Given the huge increase in demand from the public for more food and essential items, most positions throughout the commercial food chain have seen a rapid increase in demand. These positions can include food production such as factories and farms, food processing, food distribution and food sale / delivery such as supermarkets and convenience stores.
With the increased demand for food, there has also been a need for high volumes of new workers within all of the supermarkets and production sectors. Supermarkets have announced record highs in positions available with the following statistics:
Asda – opened 5000 new jobs
ALDI – create 4000 new permanent positions and 5000 temporary contracts
Tesco – hiring 20,000 new members of staff during the crisis
Morrisons – reporting 3,500 new positions available between delivery drivers and roles at distribution centres
Cleaning Services
Everyday more information becomes available from scientists on how the COVID-19 virus passes between people and can survive on surfaces, there has been a huge increase in the need for professional and industrial cleaning services, and so more workers to efficiently sanitise large areas.
There are two main focuses within the demand for professional cleaning. Firstly, premises with on-going members of staff or key workers are now needing to ensure higher standards of cleaning that keeps everyone safe as they come and go to work everyday. Secondly, organisations that closed or changed to working from home are now having professional deep-cleans to ensure all surfaces are free of the COVID-19 virus.
Distribution Center Workers
As the government enforces more and more guidelines on staying inside, there has been unprecedented amounts of online orders as people want their items delivered directly to their house. As a result there has been high volumes of new roles available for distribution center workers such as pickers, sorters and delivery drivers.
Global organisations Amazon have reported 100,000 new positions across the whole organisation to fulfill the large demand in orders. Organisations such as Amazon and supermarkets are also focussing these positions towards professionals who have unfortunately lost their job in other industries.
Rosie Bancroft – Account Manager @ Hirecracker.com
