In the space of a year, our world has been upended. With many businesses now shuttered forever, and some temporarily, even the way we do business has changed. Despite the uncertainty and despair that’s rampant in the air, some companies and industries are experiencing demand that’s at the highest levels ever and need to adapt to this while continuing to work – all while we figure out how this new world is going to work. These days, an unprecedented number of people are working from home, and more people are looking for work than usual. This means that not only do hiring practices need to alter to fit the new way of doing things, while still including the basics, like resumes and a prerequisite employment background check, there also needs to be more opportunity for telecommuting for all workers. The increase in the need to work from home has seen an unprecedented increase due to the current state of things.
Here’s a quick look at a few things to keep in mind when you need to hire someone these days.
Flexible Practices
Employers are quickly realizing that having work practices that are flexible and training their employees to accommodate those practices can improve the productivity of those employees while aiding in the retention of talent, and supporting inclusion and diversity initiatives through recruitment practices that are more inclusive. It’s still a bit early to know what the complete effects of this pandemic will have on work practices, but there’s been a marked increase in telecommuting already. Businesses are already paying attention to ongoing changes in public health recommendations and turning the way business is being done into a massive experiment in widespread telecommuting.
Job Specifications
With periodic lockdowns more possible than ever these days, job descriptions and specifications need to change if employers want to recruit the best, most qualified talent. We also need to take into account the fact that there’s a reduced capacity in all public places and spaces. This means that job seekers are searching for safety and security for both their income and themselves. There’s been a marked increase in job searches that include the phrases “work from home”, “telecommute”, and “remote” since the beginning of the pandemic. When writing a job description in this strange new world, the possibility of telecommuting needs to be clearly defined. Let candidates know if they’ll need to come into the office and how often that will happen, if there’ll be a need to travel for meetings with clients, etc.
You should also include information that’s pandemic specific – such as what the company policy is regarding the COVID vaccine. Some companies are beginning to require it now that it’s being rolled out. This is an important piece of information for applicants to have in case they neglected to get it for one reason or another.
Finally, the actual applicant resume is important, maybe more so than ever. See, working remotely isn’t for everyone. It necessitates a self-motivated and proactive attitude and a discipline that isn’t common among the entire workforce. When looking over resumes, attempt to discern where the applicant might have had a remote working position in the past and whether or not they experienced any sort of success while in that position. Things that might indicate success can include the length of time they spent there, the number of projects they completed, and more.
Keep in mind that we’re all trying to figure out how business will work in the COVID era and beyond, and part of that is hiring. Find what works for your business and stick to it.
Hiring stock photo by Jelena Zelen/Shutterstock
