How Has Recruiting Changed?
As we’ve seen through stay-at-home mandates, hybrid return to office models, and the great resignation, the business landscape will never be the same. This affects all of us as employers and as employees. And the people that sit in the middle have had to adjust to a new way of working as well. How has recruiting changed through the pandemic? Let’s take a look at a number of changes that appear to be here to stay.
Virtual Video Interviews
Prior to the pandemic, the only time we routinely used non-in-person interviews was for screening someone early in the process. And this was typically handled with a phone call, not video. Now, video interviews are the norm, which carries benefits and challenges.
Video interviews can expedite the hiring process as companies and candidates can more easily find time to connect. Eliminating the need to travel can also help keep a search quiet for both parties and save on costs associated with flying people in to interview. While convenience and availability are benefits, putting your best foot forward during a video interview is different than being in-person. Make sure your technology works well, that you have a dedicated quiet room with a professional background (or appropriate virtual background), and that you are comfortable and aware of how you come across on camera.
Remote Work Opens Up the Talent Pool
Where roles can be performed remotely, the talent pool continues to increase. People who work from home by choice or necessity have always existed, but many companies were hesitant to hire people who couldn’t be in the office. The pandemic changed that type of thinking. Top talent no longer needs to relocate to a company’s location. This benefits both employees and companies. And with the great resignation, more people are considering this type of work arrangement, living where they want and yet able to work for organizations that could be thousands of miles away.
Employees Have More Leverage
The nine-to-five routine is fast becoming a concept of the past. The changes forced upon us by Covid have changed the employee/employer dynamic that was always accepted. Many employees found that they wanted more than clocking in five days a week and dealing with rush hour traffic to and from work. As we’ve seen with the highest levels of voluntary quit rates ever, employees are being more specific about the types of roles they are looking for and it’s causing companies to struggle with filling open roles. Even with remote working options, employees are looking for more, primarily the culture of the organization and how it aligns with their personal beliefs.
Blue Collar Roles are Getting Harder to Fill
Most of the talk around the great resignation and remote work centers on white-collar workers. But the need for blue-collar workers is just as critical and faces different challenges. Many people in these roles started thinking about career changes and upskilling or reskilling.
Many blue-collar roles do not have the option of working from home and are often lower-paying roles. They face higher costs associated with commuting, have a more difficult time working around their family’s schedule, and may face limited career advancement opportunities due to technological advancements. Finding and keeping blue-collar employees requires companies to rethink the benefits and salary options they offer employees in these roles.
Recruiters are often the most valuable partner a company can lean on. The professional landscape is forever altered and without an expert team to help you navigate it, you risk higher costs associated with employee turnover and lower revenue in the long run. If you have questions or need help with your recruiting needs, send us a note.