How Coronavirus Has Created Innovation In Recruitment

Intro

The impact of COVID-19 has led to the requirement of new processes in a historically traditional sector such as recruitment. The lockdown and isolation policies mean that many businesses have been forced to shut down, downsize and to stay active, they have had to think innovatively to keep recruitment moving.

However, it has been reassuring to learn that recruiters and those businesses who are still recruiting have innovatively risen to the challenge in their hurry to adapt to new constraints and will probably never look back. This is the shift we need for the future of innovation.

Here's an overview of how the novel Coronavirus has generated innovation in recruitment.

Video Interviewing

Organizations that continue to recruit have faced several logistical hurdles. Due to strict social distancing rules, it has made it impossible to interview in person and so video interviews have become a necessity. Forcing HR teams to function remotely, coordinating recruiting initiatives without being physically together as a team, and hiring procedures have had to take place over video. Although we would have never expected to adopt technology and conducting interviews over video this soon, there are many advantages to video interviews, such as:

• Reducing costs and travelling time.
• Building a better and standardized screening of candidates.
• Improving collaboration on your recruitment process.
• Providing a positive candidate experience.
• Being more efficient and reducing time-to-hire.

Nick Kirk, managing director of recruiter Michael Page, agrees that video interviews have increased recruiting time dramatically. “In a typical recruitment process we might get a call, you’d have to tie up diaries to meet the client face to face, and then there’d be a long list, a shortlist, more diary coordination to meet with the shortlisted candidates...” he says.

Onboarding

Onboarding has rapidly and easily transitioned online, integrating a virtual learning initiative, enabling leaders to fully adjust to the training programmes. Another process is a comprehensive risk assessment to decide whether candidates have had to self-isolate themselves and if they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive.

Some more advantages that digital onboarding has to offer include:

• It is paperless - With paperwork or other administrative tasks, you can stop having to go into the workplace.
• It's safe – Digital onboarding can give you peace of mind when selecting a safe and secure software so that personal information and data is protected.
• It's remote – By doing everything digitally, you can provide a high-quality process from your home office with ease.
• Data uploading – it's no secret that onboarding entails a lot of signing policies and procedures.
• A chance to engage virtually – with mass numbers working remotely. If you want a chance to engage your employee before they even start, you need digital onboarding.

Keep a great company culture while remaining digital and increasing productivity.

Remote Collaboration

Increased collaboration across sectors is the one key recruiting trend to emerge from the crisis. Digital collaboration helps employees with a range of working styles, and it has been shown that the best teams leverage diversity to achieve long term success. HR teams recruiting initiatives need to be organized without the benefit of being physically together as a team, and procedures have to take place over video.

It's incredible to see how many leaders and employees have risen to the challenge, and many have been retained and redeployed thanks to technology and innovative strategies.

Non-Financial Incentives For the Workforce

As we know many many sectors are struggling with the impact of COVID-19. Marketing strategies will be crucial to focus on recruiting candidates for flexible positions which can also be carried out from home. Flexible jobs help diversify teams by keeping parents in leadership roles-particularly women. As well as long-term benefits, employers are now able to discuss, share and teach the skills they believe their workforce will need in the future.

Transitioning to a more flexible workforce will also help companies save money by paying employees only for the work they need at the moment during these trying times and beyond.

Furthermore, leaders are responsible for ensuring that technology works for everyone in a society where flexible work is the new standard practice.

Conclusion

If you have not yet started your frugal journey now is the time. Frugality is not something that we should be talking about just when times are tough. More diligent recruiting spending, frugality, long-term focus on recruitment strategies and budget is needed in these times. This will ensure your organization is prepared for any potential disruptions in the future.