5 Ways COVID-19 Has Impacted Recruitment Operations
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc all around the world. We are very well aware that not just economies, but businesses too are going through this unprecedented time. Recruitment is no exception. Your plan of hiring more workers may have gone out of the window or, on the contrary, you may have the requirement of hiring candidates more than ever before. It doesn’t matter which business you are in, it is likely that the pandemic has impacted your recruitment process in some way. Here are 5 aspects of recruitment that have been affected:
1. No More Face-To-Face Interviews
In the wake of COVID-19, companies are operating remotely and allowing their employees to work from home. The whole idea is to avoid physical contact and practice social distancing in order to prevent the virus from spreading further. Even in the case of recruitment, you cannot meet candidates in person as the office is shut. Job interviews are now being scheduled through video calls, resulting in a rapid change in the recruitment funnel.
More and more organizations are opting to integrate with virtual interview apps, like HireVue, Jobvite, etc., or incorporate an applicant tracking system that enables them to effortlessly continue recruitment operations remotely.
2. Fewer Open Positions
Many organizations have already found themselves in the unfortunate situation of laying off employees. Companies are experiencing a crisis due to this uncertain situation and trying to cut down costs which will help them sail through these tough times. Major IT giants in the market have already started layoffs across the world, which may further result in recession.
Ultimately, they will be less open to hiring a new workforce, eventually limiting the number of job openings in the organization. But the candidates should expect these interviews to be much trickier than before, as organizations are very keen on finding the right fit for them.
3. Onboarding Now Happens Remotely
Onboarding as usual is not an option for employees who have already been hired in the pre-lockdown period. Organizations are now arranging for virtual onboarding programs for the new hires as a result of this lockdown.
Right from induction to team introductions, everything is now happening remotely with the help of various HRMS software or onboarding software that enables you to carry out the process smoothly. The current pandemic situation has opened avenues to a lot of new experiments for businesses across the world. Remote onboarding is one such aspect.
4. Employees Are Reluctant To Switch Jobs
Sourcing candidates for open positions is going to be more difficult than ever before, as employees will not be willing to switch between companies. They are likely to value security more in this time of uncertainty. All this depends on their current employer's potential for holding back layoffs within the company. If they feel that their job is secured, then there are very few possibilities for those employees to be open to switching.
5. Redesigning The Whole Recruitment Process
It’s very unlikely that your recruitment funnel has not been impacted due to the COVID-19 wave. This, of course, is an uncertain situation and no one could have predicted its impact. Whether you belong to the tourism industry or the IT sector, each has been affected widely by this pandemic.
Companies have been quick to react and take action to control and take preventive measures. On the other hand, they are transitioning their functions through digital platforms to continue running their business efficiently.
Hence, you may consider redesigning your whole recruitment funnel in order to ensure that you seamlessly transition your functions. This will enable you to efficiently conduct these operations at each stage whether it's sourcing the candidates, scheduling interviews, communicating with them, or onboarding the selected candidates.
Final Words
The one common thread throughout each stage of your recruitment funnel is communication. If you continue to have clear and consistent conversations with your candidates, it will enable you to maintain your employer brand. An empathetic approach will greatly enhance the candidate-employer relationship and help redirect your COVID-19 recruitment strategy in the right direction.
We know it's a very difficult time that we are experiencing, but we all are in this together. Stay Positive! Stay Safe!
