COVID-19 led to massive changes in all industries and the job market. The shift to remote work meant that new challenges appeared in front of recruiters and hiring managers. Here are the main changes that the recruiting industry is currently going through and the best practices to recover in the following year.
Understanding the impact of the crisis
The unique situation we are in forced us to change the way we work and embrace technology. This was probably the biggest change for the industry – the change in behavior that happened all over the world.
There was an immediate impact on the recruiter industry – in-person interviews shifted to video interviews. Even though convenient, this format is challenging not only for the recruiter but also for the candidates. The lack of eye contact and the difficulties in reading the body language can present an issue.
Recruiters can also implement practices to ensure that the candidates are not using additional help – avoid using an artificial background, or recommend positioning of the camera in a certain way to be able to see the desk. When hiring coders, using live coding interviews can simulate whiteboard interviews in a virtual format, and features like video and image proctoring help prevent unfair means.
The challenges for recruiters depend not only on the size of the organization they work for but also on its industry. Some companies were more impacted than others and paused their work with external recruiters.
External recruiters are slightly more impacted than in-house recruiters, but that does not mean they need to stop. On the contrary, they need to redefine how they do business and reach out to companies in new industries that were not impacted heavily by the pandemic.
Finding the right fit within the budget
Recruiters need to get creative with budgets to be able to find the best candidates for the job. It could be a tough job to land the right fit with a tight budget but not impossible. Understanding exactly what the job is about is key, as well as setting a clear job description.
Recruiters need to be familiar with the organization’s structure, understand the working environment, and the impact of the job. This makes it easier to find the right fit within the budget.
Using different channels for sourcing
LinkedIn is one of the best ways to reach professionals in your industry but not the only channel you can use. Job boards can be just as useful as more than half of job seekers check job boards when they begin their search. Use job boards in a strategic way – use big websites such as Indeed and specialized job boards like Unicorn.io.
Set KPIs that matter
No matter if you are an external or internal recruiter, the most important KPI at the moment is the time to hire. Since most employees are working from home, they have more time for more interviews. This means that as a recruiter, you have a shorter time to hire them.
Track channel performance to ensure the best use of the budget. Evaluate which channel led to how many hires, the quality of applicants, and the overall cost per hire.
It might be a challenging time but use it to promote your company and get in front of as many eyes as possible to ensure you stay proactive and improve your chances of finding the best candidates.
