Recruiting Adaptions for Today and Tomorrow

As and we adopt new approaches to business, employment, and customer interactions, we also need to refocus and adapt recruiting practices. Here are 5 tips to balance company needs and the candidate experience going forward.

1. Adopt technology as a long-term solution. Invest in secure and user-friendly tools that allow for video interviews to replace in-person interviews. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to pivot to video interviews because most workplaces with closed, at least to visitors. Video interviews not only provide contact-less interaction, but we also learned that video interviews were easier to schedule on both sides of the exchange. Candidates do not need travel time, to pass through security, be escorted in, offered a beverage, etc. You can jump right into the heart of the discussion and actually get more interviews scheduled during the day.

2. Update job descriptions and job postings for location. Articulate for your candidates whether positions are remote temporarily, long-term, or required to be on-site. Remote work, when feasible, allows recruiters to evaluate a much larger pool of candidates. There is room for confusion if the job descriptions and job postings are not clear or worse if the recruiter isn’t sure about location or the hiring manager can’t commit one way or the other.

3. Communicate interviewing protocols and new norms. What are the expectations of in-person interviews now? Handshake or no handshake? Temperature? Health Form? Are masks or other PPE provided and required? Clearly and proactively communicate with candidates so they know what to expect in advance. AND, ensure that the internal interview and support team knows what the protocols are and that they set a good example by following them.

4. Take the opportunity to promote the company’s health and safety efforts. Tell candidates how the company has handled cleaning, employee communication, remote work, etc. This is a great way to toot your horn and help sell the employee experience.

5. Align the onboarding experience to the candidate experience. Seamlessly move the candidate into the employment phase by designing virtual or hybrid onboarding programs. Engagement scores suffer when the candidate experience is strong but the employment experience doesn’t live up to expectations or the high standards set by the recruitment and interview processes. Partner cross-functionally to have all the tech and supplies ready (or shipped) to the employee ahead of their first day. Have login info ready and a 30–60–90 day training plan prepared.

The job market may on the employer’s side right not, but the responsibility for crafting an excellent candidate and employee experience still exists. One could argue it is the right thing to do. And if you need a better reason, the tide will turn, making recruiting and retaining top talent once again something that keeps leaders up at night.

Shawna Lake is an HR Consultant who can be reached at shawna@deependstrategies.com