What to Expect of Recruitment During and After the Pandemic
2020 was a challenging year. The global pandemic had undoubtedly transformed everyone’s lives, making it difficult to go back to the pre-pandemic situation. Businesses are no exception as many companies also had to transition into a remote set-up to continue operations despite lockdowns and quarantines. Without a doubt, COVID-19 has transformed the workplace, bringing digital systems and processes at the forefront of operations. Today, virtual recruitment and remote work are the norm.
Last year took a hit on many businesses, so for 2021, employers are hoping to recoup losses and regain stability once again. The future remains uncertain as the pandemic remains an issue, but you can adapt to the changes and stay ahead by learning about the hiring trends expected to dominate this year. With these in mind, you can come up with more concrete steps on how your business will adjust to the situation in the short and long-term.
Virtual Recruiting Processes
Virtual hiring processes first emerged as a result of stay-at-home protocols implemented at the height of the pandemic last year. However, many professionals believe that this trend will continue as the norm even in a post-pandemic world. A combination of in-person and virtual recruitment will likely become more standardized as it allows businesses to acquire more talent and save time and money. There are currently many contentions on the sustainability of remote work, but many agree that online hiring processes will be valuable, regardless of what set-up a business chooses.
Diversity and Inclusion
As global solidarity continues to widen in lieu of the growing social movements, more and more companies will value diversity and inclusion in their workforce. According to Lauren Gardner from Microsoft, recruiters must know how to communicate their company’s culture, including their view on diversity and equality, since applicants are becoming more selective about work culture. This trend will also help provide more job access to underrepresented groups like people with disabilities or those without a college degree.
Upskilling and Adding Competencies
The pandemic has shown that adaptability and flexibility are crucial in the workplace. With digital technologies taking over many business processes, upskilling has grown more relevant to equip employees with the skills necessary in today’s fast-paced world. Upskilling can help you maximize productivity by capitalizing on your people’s strengths, as well as fill vacant positions that may be hard to fill due to skills gaps in the labor market.
Health and Safety
Without a doubt, health and safety are top priorities for job applicants and workers today. As such, employers must actively implement safety protocols and social distancing requirements to lessen the risk of infection and maintain their team’s confidence. Now, more than ever, people will be concerned about how businesses tackle workplace safety, especially if they have to return to physical offices.
Internal Hiring
Internal hiring noticeably grew since the onset of the pandemic. More companies are starting to direct their attention from recruiting new employees to training and reskilling their current workforce. This move can help boost engagement and morale and shorten the hiring process since recruiters no longer have to seek candidates outside the organization. By focusing more on learning and development initiatives, businesses can also give employees more incentive to stay as they are providing avenues for personal growth.
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly led to many changes in the hiring process. To ensure that you stay competitive and retain talent in your company, you must familiarize yourself and keep up with all the latest trends in the market.
Sources: Monster.com shrm.com