Changing Hiring Processes – Post Pandemic
There has been a rapid change for businesses all over the world as a result of the recent pandemic. Despite increased job losses in some sectors, some have seen continual growth as they thrive on the growing and ever-changing consumer demand.
Companies are now reimagining their workforce practises to increase morale, drive value and build organisational resilience. To maintain productivity for remote workers, HR will now have to figure out how to find and retain the right talent and for the most part, how to employ the proper hiring process to do this effectively.
With organisational culture, it’s essential to realise that it is cultivated predominantly by the people who work in the organisation. So, it’s crucial to hire the right people that complement each other’s strengths while still retaining a specific set of values.
Today, many companies are spending much time finding the right employees that fit the values they stand for to drive them to succeed as an organisation. It can be beneficial in the long run as they conserve time and resources instead of training those who are not suitable for the company.
An essential part of retaining top talent in a workforce is being able to address their concerns and challenges in the workplace and at the same time being able to support and encourage them to put their best selves forward, especially when it comes to working.
In this day and age, most employees must understand how their work impacts others and the bigger picture of the organisation. Companies need to recognise this as they hire the right people with the required skill set to complement their team for a healthier work environment.
Companies can achieve this by providing opportunities for employees to explore new interests in different departments and skills. SMEs have long employed this cross-training method as smaller organisations will require their employees to put on more than one hat to sustain their businesses. With multi-skilled employees, smaller businesses thrive on maintaining their valuable workforce more efficiently – both financially and in productivity.
Retaining existing employees who are multi-skilled can prove to be more valuable to an organisation as they would be well adapted to the company culture and the needs of the company. One way companies can use this to their advantage is by internal mobility.
Internal mobility in an organisation will allow the company to develop the individual and the company to achieve greater heights. Instead of hiring new people to take on a role, interested employees should be allowed to learn and sharpen their skills.
Although, this may depend on the employees themselves. Not everyone wants to learn a new skill and may not be interested in moving to different departments or trying a new skill. Companies can navigate this as they hire people to take on these jobs and ensure that they align with the company culture and requirements.
So what should employers look for when hiring talent after the pandemic?
Adaptability – Employees should be able to adapt to different tasks and situations depending on the organisation’s needs, especially working with a team.
Tech-savvy – The digital age is upon us, and the time to adapt is now. Hiring employees proficient with technology will serve companies well as they progress and innovate with their businesses and products.
Self-learners – Self-directed learners are valuable to an organisation as they are likely to stay at the forefront of the industry’s developments and seek out ways to upskill. WIth upskilling, they then can propel their teams with new unique solutions to old problems.
Flexibility – Employers should seek out employees who are also flexible with what the company is going through. There is a transparent conversation between the employees and employers at all levels without compromising their needs.
While most companies may find the traditional hiring methods more efficient, adopting or incorporating a new process may help retain and attain valuable employees for the long run. Here is how:
1. Incorporating AI tools in your recruitment process
In recent years, some companies have been utilising AI tools for talent acquisition, especially during the pandemic. They can also help with mass hiring and improving the quality of remote working for companies as they will be able to track and identify when you log in and off of work.
Although it can be pretty expensive, SMEs particularly can leverage on these tools to expand their business models and adapt to the changing industry landscape in the future by putting their products online, utilising AI to answer FAQs and many more.
2. Ask questions that are relevant to the skills you’re looking for as an organisation
It is important to get potential candidates to demonstrate this skill in their unique way. As no two individuals are the same, neither are two interviews.
Explore asking more questions about their critical thinking skills, tech-savviness, and how to solve problems that may arise with the job.
Aspire to stimulate conversations that they would want to engage in, so you could maybe ask them to tell you about something that they’re good at, perhaps painting or gardening. Let them tell you all about it and assess whether they can draw upon actual knowledge and experience to manage high-pressure situations.
3. Consider hiring a recruitment agency
Sometimes finding the right talent can be time-consuming and hard to navigate. That’s when a recruitment agency steps in to assist in finding the right talent for any position you’re looking to fill – full-time or contract.
Recruitment agencies’ role is to identify and attract the best candidates possible that align with your hiring needs and the position you’re looking to hire. They will then scour various databases and networks within their unique talent pools to find the right people for you.
They will also conduct the interviews beforehand to screen for suitable candidates and brief them about the company’s needs, vision and culture. The recruitment agency will then pass on the narrowed-down list to the company hiring for the final interviews.
This method saves time, resources and stress for many hiring companies as they focus on their businesses. At the same time, the agency does all the hard work, initially vetting out those who are not suited to the company’s values or the organisational culture.
Reactions to the pandemic worldwide drive many of the changes we are experiencing in today’s business landscape.
However, these changes will likely stay even after the pandemic is over because businesses have found better efficiencies, flexibility, lower costs, and, most importantly, better results when hiring the right people.
Change is the only constant, now is the time to adapt.
