Lots of businesses have lost employees and faced a need to scale down as a result of the events of 2020. Indeed, our July report on ‘LinkedIn to Slash 960 Jobs Worldwide as Coronavirus Battered Recruitment Industry’ spoke to this problem in two ways. First, LinkedIn has become a prominent example of a major company forced to make cuts; second, this particular company’s struggles are directly related to the fact that other companies aren’t hiring as actively.
Despite these issues though, there are some businesses looking to get back on track, and others at least considering how they might do so in the near future. If this describes your business, and you’re considering how you might actually be able to boost recruitment as part of your Coronavirus recovery, we have a few tips to consider.
Visibility basically comes down to digital marketing, and is something you should be concerned with in general. However, it’s also something that a lot of smaller or newer companies in particular simply struggle to figure out. Ayima outlines that digital marketing is difficult for startups simply because establishing a strong search profile is hard, and it can take a lot of resources and effort to make it happen. Basically, you need to analyze your content, figure out what content optimization and SEO efforts will gain you more visibility, and then put those efforts into effect. This does demand time and resources, but if you’re looking to boost recruitment, it’s all the more essential. It’s a given that more online visibility can generate more business. But it can also make you more attractive to a broader pool of strong applicants.
One issue companies are likely to face as they look to ramp up recruitment in the tail end of 2020 is that there are going to be more people looking for jobs than in quite some time. This means good candidates are out there, but it may also mean they’re harder to find. For this reason it’s essential for your business to opt for a data-driven approach to recruitment and hiring. There are various programs available that can help you with this effort. But the general idea is to compile detailed parameters based on what you want in a candidate and use those to sift through options. This will help you to narrow down existing applicants, but it may also help you to identify potential good additions to reach out to.
Depending on the nature of the work you do at your business, now may be the time to prioritize remote contribution as part of your recruitment strategy. Back in May, a study cited that 54% of adults wanted to work remotely “most of the time” following the pandemic. We would venture to guess that number would be even higher if the same study were conducted today. This makes for a complicated future for a lot of businesses, but it also gives you an opportunity where recruitment is concerned. By emphasizing that you’re willing to work with employees to accommodate working preferences and health precautions, you can appeal to this growing preference for remote work. You may well gain an edge over more rigid competitors.
It’s also essential at this point that as you seek out candidates you set yourself up to conduct virtual interviews. Even if the eventual working arrangement will involve in-person contact, an interview can take away the pressure of having to travel or meet in person during the recruitment and application process. It can be a little awkward at first, but really a little bit of advance preparation can turn it into a straightforward matter. If you’re not used to video interviews, Built-In’s tips for conducting interviews in this fashion actually offers some helpful ideas — such as logging on early, creating an appealing interview space, and considering your attire and body language just as you would in person. Ultimately it’s something you’ll adjust to quickly, but which will go a long way toward making recruits and applicants comfortable.
Recruitment in the time of the coronavirus is no easy feat. If your business is at the point of looking to hire again though, these strategies can help. Through them, you’ll become more visible, more discerning, and more comforting to prospective employees.
