Let’s face it, life in a post-covid world will never be the same. Sure, we will eventually get to see each other’s faces walking down the street, eat at the hottest new restaurant or catch the latest release on a Friday night in a crowded theater. But at a deeper level we are forever changed. We have all had a year to evaluate and reflect on what is important to us and our families and that reflection has extended into our professional lives as well.
As we return to a sense of normalcy, Employers are going to be faced with the challenge of how to prepare for and adapt to more changes in recruiting. For many companies, some of those changes have already taken shape as a result of covid. Recruiting has become more remote, relying heavily on the power of a digital world to leverage tools like video to facilitate the hiring process.
But beyond the hiring process itself, what has also changed are the expectations and needs of the candidates.
So how can your recruiting team best prepare for this shift?
Stay Flexible
This past year many employees have found themselves working from home, a concept that has long been avoided by most companies out of the fear that productivity would be impacted. And while many job functions simply can’t exist remotely, for those that can (and did), it’s safe to say this "forced" experiment was largely a success.
So now the question is do we just throw all of that out the window once covid blows over or do we embrace the fact that companies can be more flexible with remote work?
Many major companies have already announced that they will remain remote for the foreseeable future, and some even permanently, because they see the value not only in reducing the costs of physical office space but also in the work-life balance it offers employees.
If your company has been allowing remote work and it has not been detrimental to your bottom line, then consider continuing to include it for at least part of the time. If you simply can’t allow remote work long term, then try to implement other flexible scheduling options that are more doable such as modified hours to alleviate the headache of commuting or four-day work weeks.
Be Transparent
Covid has forced companies to be more transparent about the state of their businesses, more so than ever before. It’s a delicate balance between being upfront with your employees and scaring them away. From here on out though, now that employees have “seen behind the curtain” it will be hard to go backwards.
With new candidates, it’s likely you will get a lot of questions during the interview stage that may be difficult to answer. Many will want to know how you handled covid, how the business performed and what the future outlook is. Work with your recruiting team to craft a consistent message that shares just enough information without going too far.
Sell Yourself
It’s easy to forget that while you are interviewing candidates, they are also interviewing you. Today, more than ever before, candidates are looking to join a company whose brand speaks to them. As a result, it’s important that recruiters tell your story. Think about what makes you different from your competitors and what will make you successful in the future. Talk about the employee experience at your company - Why do people love working there? What makes them want to stay around? Remember we’re all just emerging from a year of solitude so we are yearning to feel part of something bigger; something exciting.
Innovate
While your company may have been too nervous to take a gamble on the unconventional candidate in the past, now is as good a time as any to start. Covid already brought so many changes to how companies operate, and for the most part, companies adapted well, only proving that sometimes thinking outside the box can be hugely beneficial.
It’s time to rethink your hiring process. The search for talented candidates is as competitive as ever. Expand your reach outside the traditional channels you’ve always used to attract candidates. Implement more engaging interview practices, such as video applications. Evaluate your preparedness to compete for the best candidates. Are you willing to be disruptive in order to attract new talent? As we discussed previously, Millennials and Gen-Z are growing into the leaders of the workforce and companies must innovate to not only attract and hire them, but to get the maximum mutual benefit from having them on your team.