Yes! That is what I am saying - it's like a bad word, Recruiting. People may wonder why it is that I would bring up such a topic, and it really is very simple. While unemployment may be experiencing crisis level highs at the moment, we started out the beginning of March with low unemployment and strategies focused on recruiting talent in places we hadn't thought of in the past. I would argue that recruitment and the need for workers are still there - they just may look different. They are different because the world is different. How we work is different, and if anything is clear, it is that our ability to pivot in the workplace is possible.
So, what are the things you should be thinking about now?
First, be thinking about where your workflow looks like it is going to be in the coming weeks, months, and maybe through the end of the year. Did you have to lay people off, did you furlough people, and what is your process for recruiting them back. And yes, I think you need to look at recruiting them back? A lot of workplaces have changed how they do business, where they do business and the positions themselves have shifted. you might think about offering your employees a new job, and it may not be the same as the previous job you had before they left.
Think about your new workforce - they have experienced something significant, and their need for assurances extends beyond the assurances of a position and pay. They want to feel safe. And this starts at the interview. Hosting virtual interviews was becoming more mainstream pre-COVID, but now seems like a necessity. Using effective and reliable tools is important. And as any virtual recruiter will share - there is a different cadence or flow you work through when doing virtual rather than in-person interviews. Do you still need to have group interviews? You can do that too, but it adds another dynamic to your workflow you may need to consider.
Think about online assessments and other tools to have your candidates work through. Ensure those tools are reliable and valid so you know the results you are getting back are also going to be reliable and valid.
Assessing the experience the candidates will be having. The new position may have a work from the home element you didn't have before. So what does that experience look like now for that candidate? What are some ideas you can use to help integrate your company culture into the recruiting experience in a virtual way?
These are just a few items to consider, and there are a lot of things to work through when thinking about this topic. HRx is offering online workshops, sponsored by Aims Community College Continuing Education, and there is NO cost to participants who want to attend and explore this further. You can register for those sessions by visiting this link here.
