Covid hit us all hard and its impact is very much so still surrounding us all in one way or another while we continue to try to understand and overcome this longwinded pandemic. We all faced challenges and difficulties – some more distantly than others – and it specifically changed the way companies function entirely and left a new means of structure in the work “place.”
As the pandemic continues to sweep through the world – making remote work is the absolute norm in order to keep businesses afloat and functional – hiring processes have been no exception to this new phenomenon. Restructuring was a necessity which has included the adaption of virtual recruiting, and that demanded talent acquisition professionals manage their process accordingly.
Virtual Hiring
With all workplaces seeking to provide a critical layer of safety to their candidates and clients, virtual interviews will continue to out rule in-person interviews for the foreseeable future. With the various forms of the virus still sweeping through major urban work hubs, the expectation is certainly that folks will be proceeding with caution and executing as many tasks as possible remotely.
Not only is video interviewing safer, but it has proved to expedite the hiring process for both parties involved and keep the pipeline moving. Interviewing one candidate after another through virtual means rules out all external factors that might delay the process such as traffic, waiting area, etc. Will this continue to be a first step in hiring beyond the virus? In terms of efficiency of screening candidates, it very well could have changed the recruitment industry process moving forward. Prior to Covid, there was always an emphasis of meeting people face to face in order to guarantee a thorough evaluation of the candidate, but that has all changed.
Internal Hiring
Another benefit that proved worthy was internal mobility. Since Covid, internal mobility within corporations has increased up to 20% due to the shift that talent acquisition professional had to adapt to. Thinking more strategically and practically, recruiters have created new programs to reskilling and maintaining existing talent pool. By repositioning and redeveloping internal employees, it has shown to also fix the issue of talent retention as employees stay 41% longer at companies when they hire internally compared to those that seek to hire externally.
DE&I Playing a Bigger Role
Now is the time for companies to shed more light on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion when hiring. To survive in the ever-changing workforce structure, a company’s talent needs to match the complexity of the world today, and that requires building sufficient DE&I programs to support fair processes for individuals. By expanding and searching for talent of different backgrounds that match a company’s profile will surely help organizations thrive.
Expanding Recruiters Skill Sets
The number one skill that recruiters embraced during the pandemic is adaptability. Before Covid, recruiters focused on in-person interaction as a means of assessing; however, now recruiters have adapted new skills to shape the nature of current and future interviews such as, talent advisory training, virtual interviewing, productivity, virtual onboarding, and internal mobility. It also demanded to develop new training manuals, talent strategies and tools to better function in the future.
