The COVID 19 pandemic has turned the world upside down this year, and many industries are suffering as a result. Many people have lost their jobs, leaving unemployment rates high, and with businesses closing every day, it’s an uncertain future for those in the recruitment industry. However, that doesn’t mean it is a bleak future as some industries are booming, and as mentioned, many candidates are looking for work. It’s just now things have to be done a little differently.
Thanks to strict social distancing rules, you can no longer interview in person, so recruitment needs to be done remotely, and processes such as the right to work document checks have had to happen over video.
As with many things, technology has been an essential part of getting through the pandemic; it has meant that people have been able to keep in touch with others, apps have been created to help track the virus, and it has allowed many parts of the workforce to continue.
Figures from analyst firm Gartner show that 86 percent of businesses have been conducting virtual interviews during the pandemic, and 85 percent are using new technology to onboard employees. So, as processes have had to change, it is a perfect time to take a look at your strategies to see which ones are working best and to implement new ones such as the following:
Using an applicant tracking system (ATS)
Your strategy should rely on your applicant tracking system more than ever. As mentioned, some industries are thriving due to the pandemic and expanding and are therefore needing to recruit the right people fast. Having an ATS for job boards, affiliate tracking links, and candidate networking events through Eventbrite will enable you to find the best candidates and find them quickly.
Not only this, but a good ATS will give you metrics that will help with contract negotiations with job boards and used to calculate ROI when someone gets granted a license for these platforms. You can also track your usage on the platform to ensure that you know how your staff uses these platforms and how often they are using the platforms.
Telephone Screening
Many of those practices necessitated by coronavirus could well stay for good. One of the strategies that people are now using is telephone screening, which has strengthened processes and centralized some recruitment activity aspects, leading to higher conversion rates from application to the offer stage.
Behavioral Competencies
As part of the virtual interview process, many recruiters have had to build behavioral competencies to score and assess. This kind of recruitment process can be included as part of our face-to-face interviews in the future.
Analyzing Data and Modifying Your Recruitment Strategies
Doing everything virtually has created an audit trail of data and has meant that everything has been documented more formally. This is a fantastic opportunity to better insight into the candidate journey and makes long-term improvements to each stage of their recruitment strategies.
Lastly, not all of these strategies will work the same for all companies. However, to move your hiring forward during these difficult times, a shift in strategy to incorporate new ideas is important to consider. The right mix of strategy and technology will have top candidates waiting to join your firm.
