5 Tips for Navigating a Recruitment Strategy While Teleworking
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Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the idea of normalcy has been completely turned upside down. This could not be more true of the job market during this time, and everyone is impacted – candidates, employers and recruiters.
For right now, we have to pause on suiting up to sit in the lobby, the sometimes awkward walk down rows of desks, and the important handshake greeting. The good news is these mainstays are not the foundation of recruitment. They are practices that have been handed down because they are effective. But now is the time for the necessity to be the mother of invention, and, fortunately, we already have the tools at our disposal.
We’ve been using technology for remote delivery and phones for screeners for years, so now it’s time to broaden the scope of what they can do for recruiting. That way efforts to find the new team star are not delayed any longer than necessary. Here are five tips for navigating a thoughtful recruitment plan amid social distancing:
Utilize Social Media
In the past few months, every social channel has reported record numbers in terms of use, as well as engagement. LinkedIn, the hub for all things job networking related, says engagement is up 55% and posting of articles is up over 2000%. Everyone is spending more time on digital platforms whether they are furloughed or not, which makes for a target-rich environment. Companies can use this time to showcase their culture, employee brand promise, and their “X” factor” to see who engages with them. This way when a job posts, candidates know more about the organization that can’t be truly expressed in a pdf.
Take Advantage of Digital Recruitment Solutions
The level of connectivity that we have today enhances every aspect of business, but it has truly revolutionized recruiting. An online candidate portal ensures that your team can stay in touch with applicants no matter where they are. With functional dashboards that align to your organization’s workflow, applicants stay up to date on job opportunities and upcoming interviews, providing a seamless hiring process and an unprecedented level of transparency to a challenging and emotion-filled process. An online portal is also a candidate’s initial exposure to your company so it is vital that user experience is a key focal point. After all, your online portal reflects your brand and the first piece of technology belonging to your company that applicants most likely interact with. This is a great place to manage expectations for the candidate journey, detail the process and timeline, as well as needs for consideration.
Nudge Potential Applicants in the Right Direction
The COVID-19 pandemic has been referred to quite frequently as a “time of uncertainty.” The job market certainly falls under this description. Many workers have lost their jobs, experienced a drastic cut in business opportunities, or are struggling to move to remote working. For businesses that Australians use every day like banks, restaurants, pharmacies, etc., sending out an email or posting online about current hours, click and collect services, and digital opportunities has become protocol. For job-seeking potential applicants, the question of “Who is even hiring?” or “What about my upcoming interview?” may cause some confusion. Ensure your talent pool that any open positions are still up for grabs, and carefully explain how interviewees can utilize video conference platforms for future interviews.
Conduct Online Interviews
It is certainly possible that your organization has already experimented with conducting online interviews. They are a great way to get to know candidates through preliminary discussion when presented with a large pool of applicants. The world of conducting interviews entirely through virtual platforms is new to most – but an extremely viable option! Platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet have dominated technology amid social distancing and are just as successful in connecting you with job applicants as current employees. When choosing to continue your interview process via video chat, do your best to mirror the traditional discussion as closely as possible. That means preparing for your candidate – having their resume and notes on hand, testing your laptop’s video and audio levels, and ensuring that your workspace has no distractions. While the circumstances when working from home have changed your “office” scenery, a little effort goes a long way when keeping it professional.
Online Onboarding
The endgame to this process is not finding the right candidate, but successfully integrating them on the team. Usually, there would be a welcome breakfast, followed by a series of meetings, walks around the office, and plenty of mingling. A very similar approach can be managed for a remote new hire. Send a welcome kit with company swag that includes a mug and a coffee gift card or bag of coffee. Set up a series of video conference meetings, but possibly spread them out a bit more to allow more time to ingest the discussions in this virtual environment. And, still set the new hire up with a mentor. Having a personal touchpoint to navigating a new job in unusual circumstances will be vital to success.
With all the wonderful benefits that technology has to offer, your recruitment strategy can remain as seamless as possible. To learn more about how you can improve your hiring process, check out Acendre’s digital recruitment solution today.