In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, while many of the in-demand jobs, like essential healthcare and supply chain positions, cannot be remote, any workers who can work remotely find themselves doing so suddenly and for the foreseeable future. And recruiting, at least for now, needs to be fully remote wherever possible while physical offices are closed and stay-at-home orders are in effect. As this necessity eventually gives way to a new “normal,” the appetite for remote hiring and remote work will remain at levels far higher than before. Here is what recruiters need to know to prepare.
Remote recruiting, hiring, and onboarding are here to stay
A more immediate change for recruiters during the Covid-19 pandemic is that the recruiting and hiring process has necessarily become remote. Recruiters need to be able to engage candidates remotely through the entire process. In-person meetings, for the time being, are next-to-impossible unless the role requires it. On top of that, remote onboarding is no longer an option but a must-have.
Are you prepared to handle the entire recruiting process remotely? Do you have the tools in place to do so, while still maintaining the human element crucial to successful recruiting? Tools and technology that help the process include the following:
- An ATS: A reliable cloud-based ATS means you and your candidates have all job and candidate data shared at your fingertips, with speed and accuracy.
- Video: Interviewing candidates via video takes on increased importance when it is the only way to interact visually with a candidate, as you need to adapt the interview stages that are usually conducted in-person.
- Text and Chat: Now is the time to make sure you have the ability to communicate with candidates where and when they need them; don’t miss vital connections during the recruiting process.
- Remote onboarding: Securely sharing onboarding documents with new hires is vital; the manual, in-person process is not only impracticable right now, but also much slower and prone to error.
If you adopt and use these and other tools out of necessity now, you will find they will make your job easier when things eventually return to some form of normal.
PREMIUM CONTENT: Best Practices in Remote Working For Staffing Firms
After the pandemic, more jobs will be partially or fully remote
As many employers are forced to accommodate a remote workforce now, they will find that many positions can and will remain remote. This means that staffing firms can expect the number of remote jobs available once the pandemic has ended to be far higher than before. What does this mean for staffing professionals?
Staffing professionals need to be prepared for job descriptions that include more language geared to remote work. Beyond the basic skills applying to the jobs, employers will be looking for more candidates who fit soft skill descriptions such as “self-starter,” “independent worker,” “proactive communicator,” and more specific skills such as a facility with video, audio and other digital communications tools, and writing skills will take on an added prominence, as employers want to make sure remote workers will be engaged members of their teams. Additionally, as geographic restrictions become less common, staffing firms will be able to take advantage of a broader qualified talent pool.
Candidates need to be prepared
Also important is making sure job candidates are prepared for the remote hiring process. Making materials and coaching on remote interviewing part of your communications with them will provide them with an added advantage when vying for open roles, especially as unemployment rates rise and the job market tilts in favor of the employers.
Whenever the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant stay-at-home orders finally subside, the skills and appetite for remote work and remote recruiting will remain stronger than before. Mastering remote recruiting and anticipating the increased remote workforce now, will leave you much better prepared for the future.
