The hiring landscape has changed dramatically over the past few months, in response to the constantly shifting parameters related to COVID-19. As the workforce begins to make movements towards reopening, it may be beneficial to give your hiring processes a once-over so that you can continue reaching the right candidates.

 

There will be significant changes to take into consideration when hiring post-COVID-19 – here they are!

 

Candidates Are Looking For Flexibility

 

If the last few months have taught us anything, it is that many jobs across a variety of industries can be done remotely or with a certain degree of flexibility, with no resulting loss in productivity. This fact likely won’t change once COVID-19 parameters are lifted, nor should it have to. According to a recent survey by Gallup, 59% of employees said they would prefer to continue working remotely as much as possible after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. 

 

Adjusting your roles to reflect a heightened preference for working from home and flexible hours can potentially relieve a number of stressors for candidates and can open up your talent pool to include a wider range of job seekers. Companies that don’t offer these options (of course, where they are possible) could potentially fall behind in the race for talent. 

 

Health a Top Priority

 

Personal health and safety have been top of mind for the past few months, as we have watched COVID-19 tear apart the world around us. For many people, one of the top hesitations for returning to work are concerns about ensuring personal health and safety in a place that isn’t their home, including social distancing, accessibility to PPE and frequency of cleaning.

 

Communicating clearly that you value the health of your employees and demonstrating that you have stringent measures in place to enforce those values, could mean the difference between landing some great candidates or losing them to the competition. There are also many government recommendations in place regarding health and safety, that must be reviewed before reopening your doors. 

 

 

Make Room for Tech

 

Using technology in the professional world was already on the rise but has been accelerated significantly by COVID-19. One in five workers have used at least one new piece of technology since the quarantine began, with that figure even higher in certain tech-heavy industries. Harnessing different types of technology has allowed people to stay in contact with one another, expanded their skill set and made them more confident using technology in general. 

 

Looking for candidates that are familiar with technology that supports collaboration and communication is in your best interest, regardless of the industry. In addition, ensuring your management staff is comfortable with hiring technology, such as an applicant tracking system or video conferencing, will also be a necessary change, if it hasn’t already been implemented. 

 

Candidates are Becoming More Competitive

 

Over the last few months, many people have found themselves with a little extra time on their hands. In response to this, a major increase in online learning has occurred, with many people turning to the internet for the chance to improve their technical and soft skills and work on professional development, so they can return to the job market stronger than ever.

 

The more skills a candidate has, the more competitive they become – meaning your approach to sourcing and hiring candidates may need some adjusting to make your positions the most attractive. At the very least, your job applications could go through a revamp, in order to pinpoint exactly what you are looking for in a candidate. 

 

Need a hand looking for some fresh talent after the dust settles from COVID-19? Next Level Group would be more than happy to help – contact us today to get started.