Today, recruitment looks completely different than it did as little as a year ago. Changes that we believed would take years transpired in only several months, accelerated by COVID-19 and civil unrest. Virtual recruitment has become the norm. Companies are required to develop their own mobility and upskilling programs despite many of them having no experience with this whatsoever. What’s more, recruiters are treating diversity with a previously unheard of urgency and accountability, which would impact any decision to run a background check.
Recruiters Will Become Indispensable
When it comes to planning a workforce, recruiters have always been strong business advisors. In the days of COVID-19, they are becoming essential. Remote work tempts with its prospects of saving on facilities and salaries, increasing retention and productivity, and diversifying talent pools. The smaller carbon footprint is yet another advantage.
However, workforce planning will be complicated due to issues of employee visibility, technology, company culture, capacity planning, and compensation. After all, the distributed workforce has spun the concept of fair pay around on its head. As a recruiter, you are positioned to offer critical insight with anecdotal feedback about talent needs and wants.
Background checks help provide unique analytics-driven insight into ways and places to source talent. Companies gain a competitive edge by being aware of any concerns, especially if they take quick measures to address them.
A Global Approach to Hiring
Adopting a global approach rather than a strategy to target a limited number of platforms to source workforces will have great benefits for businesses. Experts liken the global recruitment approach to the cloud solution. It’s possible to tap into the cloud irrespective of your location. In 2021, you can do the same thing with talent.
COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere. Eventually, it will disappear, but it will leave us with the aftermath. As long as the applicant has the right skills, it shouldn’t matter where they are located. In the words of Winston Churchill, we shouldn’t let a good crisis go to waste. COVID is a thinly disguised opportunity to open doors for talent around the world.
Actions and Empathy Will Be at the Core of Practices
Experts predict that employer branding will grow on the basis of actions and empathy. Clients and candidates alike are interested in businesses that take a stronger stance on controversial matters in 2021. Recruitment managers will highlight employer branding, perceiving it in a radically different way. They will draw attention to how the company is supporting communities, clients, and its workforce in this time of crisis rather than showcasing its amenities, products, services, and perks through ambitious marketing initiatives.
Employer brands will be shaped by the actions companies take to demonstrate empathy in 2021 and the years to come. These will include employee assistance programs, flexible employment opportunities, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Businesses will need to focus on transparency of plans to address shortcomings and enhance their accountability in order to earn their employees’ and clients’ trust.
Job applicants’ daily interactions with recruiters will have a strong impact on their impression of the company. Recruiters will demonstrate a greater understanding of applicant experiences, be more accommodating in their approach, and more empathetic in their outreach. Companies will show rather than tell what they are about by putting people first.
The Demise of In-Person Interviews
As COVID-19 rages on, more and more people are starting to work from home. The number of companies operating remotely is increasing. It’s all about practicing social distancing and avoiding physical contact to stop the virus from spreading. Obviously, you can’t meet applicants face to face when your office is closed, even for the purpose of recruitment.
The recruitment funnel is changing rapidly as recruiters schedule job interviews through video calls. The number of organizations opting to integrate applicant tracking systems is increasing. These make it possible to continue recruiting remotely without any effort. More and more employers are integrating with virtual interview apps as well.
Fewer, but Better Jobs
Many companies have had to lay off employees. They are going through a crisis in these times of uncertainty. To make it through, they’re trying to reduce expenses. Industry giants have begun laying employees off around the world, exacerbating the global recession.
Recruiters are now less open to hiring new employees, which has led to fewer open positions. There are also fewer job interviews as a result. Applicants should expect these interviews to be much more complex than in the past because companies are more focused on finding the right fit than ever.