4 Essential Tips for Hiring During the Coronavirus Era

ICOVID-19 has shaken up the ways we live in countless ways. Social distancing is the new normal, and indoor gatherings have become a source of anxiety. 

COVID has also shaken up recruitment and hiring processes. Below are four essential tips for HR professionals and hiring managers looking to adjust to this new normal. 

1) Look Out for Remote Red Flags 

Remote hiring isn’t much different from in-person hiring, but employers should consider holding interviews over video chat due to social distancing guidelines. 

When doing this, applicants will be chatting from their homes. While a handful of children’s toys in the background isn’t a red flag, signs of hoarding or a disheveled personal appearance ought to be.   

Remember that red flags go both ways. Ensure your interviewers are dressed properly, have professional-looking backgrounds, and give their full attention to each applicant. You and your team must effectively sell both the position and the organization. 

2) Consider Hiring for Fully Remote Positions 

With the rise in remote work as a possibility, you ought to be looking at making some jobs fully remote, as this can expand your potential pool of candidates far beyond your geographic region. 

Of course, some jobs can’t be done remotely, but now is the time to look at an open position and consider if it makes sense to keep it as an on-premises job. Many employees are still afraid of returning to their places of work, and some have begun searching for remote jobs. If you would like to attract top talent from outside your area, make sure you include the word “remote” in the job description. 

3) Lean into Communications with Candidates 

A main concern among people in the workforce goes beyond their personal health. People understand the economy holds sway over their career status, and for that reason, people are concerned about the effects of COVID on the economy. 

From a hiring perspective, you should be looking to ease concerns by communicating with job candidates. Communications to applicants ought to be steady, accurate, and transparent. Update your candidates frequently, as the COVID situation in your areas shifts from day-to-day and week-to-week. If your company uses Skype, Zoom, or HR-specific tools, ensure you can communicate completely remotely to candidates. 

Also, ensure you keep a thoughtful frame of mind with dealing with applicants. Ask if there is something you can help them with to make their experience a better one. Though it may be a bit difficult over the internet, try to connect with applicants on a human level. 

4) Review Onboarding Policies 

COVID has forced recruitment professionals to get creative with respect to a personalized onboarding process. For each new hire, have a thorough list of important introductions across the company.   

Also, think about sending new hires a welcome box in the mail, filled with company-branded merch and a personalized welcome note. New people at all career stages want to feel welcome. Given the impersonal nature of remote interactions, there is a greater chance for a personal disconnect between a newbie and their new colleagues. 

We Can Help Your Company Navigate the New Normal 

At Career Concepts, we’re helping clients deal with the talent acquisition challenges brought on by COVID-19. Please contact us to find out how we can help your organization.