2021 – Can it be our year?
What an exciting year ahead, for sports fans! We have got:
- Euro 2020
- Olympics
- The Ashes
- The Masters
- Rugby World Cup
- X3 Grand Tours in Cycling
- Wimbledon
There is plenty to look forward to for sports fans and something for everyone, but the big question is, can we go and watch?
COVID-19 is still playing a huge part in our lives and is leaving its footprint on the economy and the nations mental wellbeing. In our opinion the health and welfare of the nation is hanging in the balance and requires the nation to dig deep in its resolve reserves to prepare us for the year ahead.
Who would have thought Boris Johnson’s announcement of Lockdown 3 was going to be the first talking point of the year swiftly followed by the much-anticipated news of vaccines and the plans to roll it out across the UK?
With economic support now in place until April, there are plenty of questions surrounding the strength and speed at which the economy can bounce back.
In terms of the job market, permanent job vacancy placements have seen an increase at the beginning of January 2021, and this is supported by data coming from the REC and Markit.
What are the forecasts for 2021? What trends, if any, will we see and can we predict accurately.
In our view, companies will face the same issues that have for decades: do things quicker, save money, be innovative, win more business, look after its employees and be profitable.
This is a constant state yet the methods of achieving these outcomes will differ slightly from the past. In recruitment terms, 2021 may see the following:
- An increase in the number of permanent jobs
- Further staffing cutbacks across all industries specially within the retail and hospitality sectors
- An increase in the number of companies outsourcing projects and required services
- An increase in Fixed term contracts being offered by employers
- An increase in the number of mergers and acquisitions across many sectors
- An increase in the number of new jobs being offered by employers that few people have heard of or ever knew existed
- An increased number of initiatives focusing on Mental wellbeing and dealing with the demands of those in isolation, working from home and coming out of this COVID-19 crisis
From a technology and business process perspective, resulting from having pulled away from the EU and an increasing number of people working remotely, we predict increases in:
- GDPR refresh programs
- Health & Safety initiatives
- An increase and fresh investment in online learning solutions
- Continued Digital Transformation
- Further investments in IT Security and awareness programs for remote workers
- An expansion of online and hosted services
It may well be that we begin to gather pace from mid-February into March and if half of these topics are covered, we will be in for a productive and busy year. For now, keep safe and keep healthy. Wishing you all the prosperity and good fortune for 2021. #2021 #greatyear #covid19 #2021forecast