Disaster Recovery Basics for Your Recruitment Firm

As I write this, Tropical Storm Harvey is still battering Houston and the surrounding Gulf Coast with unprecedented rainfalls. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by this historic storm. Thousands are displaced from their homes, and business interruptions must be staggering as well. While most of us will not experience a catastrophe of this magnitude, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of smaller disasters each year. How well-prepared is your recruitment firm to survive? If you have not given time or thought to a disaster recovery plan, get started now! Here are some basics:

1. Insurance – Check your policies to ensure you have adequate coverage for water, smoke or fire damage, property damage, theft, and business interruption. Business interruption helps cover lost income if your business is unable to function for a period of time. Flood insurance often requires a separate policy in the United States. If you rent your office space, is your recruitment firm covered through the property owner?
2. Data Back-Up – Make sure your critical data and software is backed up daily and stored offsite or via a cloud-based system with multiple redundancies. Cloud-based systems make it easier for employees to work remotely if they are unable to come to the office. Know who hosts your website, where they are located, and what their redundancies are for a catastrophic event. We have a member in Australia whose website is hosted in Houston, for example.
3. Communications Plan – Communicate to your employees in advance what the expectations are for coming in to the office, and how to make contact. Make a plan to inform your customers and vendors how business is being handled. Know how to update your website with urgent notices. Know how to redirect your phones, where they are being redirected, and who will be able to answer them. Cell service may not be available. Do you have a landline back-up if needed? Do employees have the ability to effectively work remotely?
4. Equipment – If you have time to prepare in advance for a physical disaster (hurricane or tornado), move equipment away from windows and off floors. Try to securely wrap equipment in plastic to avoid flood damage. Do you have equipment in your recruitment firm that can be moved off-site to a safer location?
5. Asset Inventory & Photos – To assist with insurance claims, a current asset inventory is vital. Many insurers recommend taking photos of your office including furniture and equipment BEFORE the disaster.

There are likely many other elements to include in your disaster recovery plan. As with all plans, WRITE IT DOWN, share it widely, and review it at least annually. Things change, including people, equipment, and vendors, so you’ll want to be sure your plan includes the most up-to-date information. What are you doing to ensure your recruitment firm can remain functioning in a crisis? Add a comment below!