Recruiting is unlike past years, which makes sense given the uniqueness of the COVID-19 reality. Both recruiters and candidates are adapting to video interviewing and virtual onboarding processes. Here is more about what recruiters are experiencing during this challenging time.
While several recruiters found them selves a bit of a lull at the start of the pandemic, many are seeing more demand for their services lately. Hiring departments are also noting that they can find suitable people through video interviews, whereas before COVID-19, the face-to-face interview was the standard.
Many HR departments were understandably uneasy about what they would do when the pandemic first hit as they could not meet in-person with candidates. However, automated tools like Talcura’s recruitment software make the process of screening, interviewing, and ranking candidates a smooth process from home.
Recruiters are benefiting from technological advancements in other ways too. They are using video and phone communications, for example, rather than only email to communicate better. A string of emails can be inefficient, not to mention hard to express a complex message, so voice communications are a great alternative. That makes sense during COVID-19 times, when many recruiters are working from their residences.
For interviews, video software is a mainstay as people stay safe at home rather than meeting in boardrooms. Among the most popular video conferencing software options are Zoom, Skype, and Teams.
Before the pandemic, the recruiting time for contract jobs was about 48 hours turnaround time. Now, it is 72 hours. The extension of the recruitment timeline is occurring because many candidates are hesitant about changing jobs right now, which is understandable.
The toughest jobs to fill right now a reentry-level ones, with furloughs and layoffs making candidates hesitant to take new vacancies. Applicants who have more experience are also more flexible.
When a new worker starts in their role, a big change today is that they have not usually met their manager in person. A swell, they do not typically have a tour around the physical office. These changes have become easier to adapt to over the last month or so.
Looking ahead, many businesses are planning a gradual return to work, with certain employees returning to the workplace before others, based on their job, health, personal preferences, and other factors. This process involves communicating safety guidelines and other new policies to both new hires and those who are returning to work after being at home for several months.
This process is not one to rush as the goal is to minimize exposure to risks of spreading the coronavirus. By mitigatingCOVID-19 risks, businesses can do their part to keep everyone safe, including their teams and customers.
Soon, as more businesses reopen, more employees will return to the workplace. With this return, many organization swill re-evaluate how they run meetings.
The new normal for meetings will adhere to local regulations about social distancing, masks, and sanitization. Employers will also put a health self-assessment tool in place.
While the time to fill positions has increased during COVID-19 times, the quality of candidates and the ability of recruiters to fill positions has remained strong. By using recruiting software like that offered by Talcura and being flexible, many recruiters can retain high satisfaction levels among candidates, new hires, and hiring managers.
