Recruiting practices have drastically changed over the past two years. The predominant reason for that change may be because 87% of employees prefer to participate in remote work when given the option. As such, it’s time to reassess and rethink recruiting practices to help them mesh with today’s hybrid and remote workforce. But how does one even start that process?
Don’t worry. Although the process of HR process revitalization may seem daunting, this article provides a solid jumping-off point for HR professionals looking to revamp their company’s recruiting strategies.
What does recruiting look like now?
Like many other HR practices in the post-pandemic world, recruiting protocols must change to reflect today’s job market and attract the type of employee a company is looking to hire. Before 2020, most interviews were held in-person, with just a few taking place over the phone. Now, many recruiters don’t meet potential candidates in-person until well after they sign their acceptance letter. And for remote companies, those involved with the hiring process may never physically cross paths with their new coworkers.
In response to — or as part of — the Great Resignation, many employees have a newfound affinity for working from home, with 60% agreeing that remote work is a benefit they don’t want to lose, even if their company’s physical office does reopen completely. Other employees have taken the past two years to professionally reset and revitalize their careers, pivoting to jobs that better reflect their passions. From the looks of it, this trend will not subside anytime soon.
In short, recruiters and HR professionals need to rethink their current procedures and tweak them to fit the highly virtual world most employees now inhabit.
How to connect with candidates online
Nowadays, technology is playing a prominent role in virtual recruiting. There are many positives to virtual recruiting, all of which involve streamlining the communication process between candidates and recruiters. Two upsides to virtual recruiting are that candidates can schedule their interviews directly online and recruiters can connect with more candidates in less time.
Virtual interviewing can also ease candidates’ stress before and during the interview. Several factors contribute to lowered stress levels during online interviews, including the following.
- No interview commute
- Candidates can take the interview from a familiar space, like their home
- Candidates are more likely to be themselves
- Once the interview is over, candidates can return to their day with greater ease
However, despite the many benefits of online interviews, there are new considerations for recruiters to keep top of mind. For example, interviewers need to be aware that it’s more challenging to read a candidate’s body language without meeting in-person. Recruiters can address this new challenge by asking more questions than planned. Use follow-up questions to provide clarity and try not to leave any stone unturned. Interviewers should also inquire about the candidate’s ideal work environment and give them better insight into the office and/or virtual culture so they can start picturing themselves in their potential role. The deeper an interviewer digs, the better prepared recruiters and candidates will feel moving forward.
Involve current employees
When candidates are at the end of the hiring process, don’t be afraid to involve current employees. Here are a few simple ways to involve employees.
- Virtual coffee chats
- Online water cooler breaks
- Happy hour events
Including potential candidates in these types of casual meetings will not only give the candidate a better understanding of the role and the culture but it will also provide recruiters the chance to see if the candidate will be a good fit for the company. Although hybrid and remote work has altered office culture, it’s still important employees feel comfortable with one another as well as their organization and its core values.
Hosting virtual coffee chats or water cooler breaks is a great way to ascertain an employee’s cultural fit from a distance. This is important because almost every organization has hired someone who, on paper, seemed like a perfect candidate — but who ultimately proved to be a culture mismatch. This is an unideal situation for both the hiring organization and the employee.
Statistics don’t lie
As recruiters know, the goal during interviews is to identify the best candidate and ensure they are prepared for success. This is where statistics about the interview process can come into play.
Before altering a company’s entire recruiting process, recruiters and the HR department need to record data about existing practices. This benchmark information can then be used to compare with newly implemented processes. Here are a few example metrics HR professionals may want to focus on in the future.
- Retention differences between the old recruiting process versus the new recruiting process
- How long does the hiring process take?
- Number of inbound applications versus sourced applications
- How are the different types of applications performed before, during and after the recruitment process?
- Compare the quality of hires before and after updating the recruiting process
It’s crucial to cover all bases during the hiring process.
Ensuring that an organization’s recruitment process is up to date and checks all the boxes will help propel future hiring efforts. While connecting with candidates via online meetings may not be the most ideal scenario for many recruiters, it’s the standard today. It’s imperative that HR professionals master the online interview process for the sake of candidates’ comfort levels and for the long-term benefit of the organization.
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