The COVID-19 crisis has changed the way we attract talent and approach the subtle art of recruitment in general, to a great extent. Many business leaders and managers are justly worried about what the new normal will bring for the recruitment sector, while independent agency recruiters might have a difficult time staying afloat amidst a global pandemic. While your worry is not unjustified, that doesn’t mean that you are powerless to ride the wave of change and actually thrive in the new normal – provided that you as the recruited develop the right skills to accommodate the new needs of the job-seekers as well as your company.
From improving your communication skills and making use of better communication technology, all the way to learning the basic and some advanced cybersecurity principles, there’s plenty you can do to become a better recruiter in the post-COVID-19 world. That’s why today we are taking a look at the five most important skills you need to work on in order to attract the best candidates in the new normal.
With or without a global pandemic on our hands, there’s no denying that online interviews have been growing in popularity in recent years with the advent of digital technology and having more sophisticated conferencing tools at your disposal. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until this global crisis forced so many employees to work at home that business leaders realised how important it is for recruiters to master the art of the online interview. After all, this is the only way to communicate with applicants currently, so you have to make sure that the experience is rewarding for both sides.
Firstly, you have to make sure that all your video conferencing tech is working perfectly. Run a thorough diagnostics in the settings menu to check your microphone, sound, and video quality. Next, be sure to prepare and adapt your pitch, talking points, and timetable for online communication – be mindful of the fact that you might need more time to conduct the same interview online.
Lastly and most importantly, work on your soft skills and presentation. Keep in mind that what’s in the frame is what the candidate will see, so be mindful of where your hands are at all times and how you’re gesticulating during the interview. Remember to talk more slowly, make frequent pauses, ask them if they have any questions and if they’re keeping up, and remain calm and composed but friendly and approachable. For further interview tips, search for Alex Gotch (or another expert in the industry) and maximise your potential at your next interview.
In the new normal, it’s no longer enough to simply post a job opening on social media and hope that you’ll attract the top talent to your virtual doorstep. Simply put, the modern job-seeker has plenty of opportunities to choose from, and these days every company is recruiting online, so you have to be more proactive in your approach. For example, you will need to put more focus into resumes in order to attract the best candidates. On the Johanna Ryan page, resume parsers are discussed, which can be helpful if you haven't considered this yet. In order to adapt and attract the best talent, you have to combine various tactics and techniques to not only attract talent but actually engage them in a more meaningful way.
The first tactic you can employ is to become a better brand communicator. Portraying your brand and its unique value proposition to potential candidates is a great way to spark their interest and set your company apart in a crowded job market. Next, instead of waiting for them to come across your job ads and social media posts, try to find those online places where talented job-hunters meet, and engage with them in one-on-one communication – make an effort to reach out and show them that you want them to become a part of your brand.
Now that recruiters are working from home and that they have to communicate with candidates online exclusively, various new challenges are coming to light that you didn’t have to deal with before. One of the major challenges is data security and general safety in the online realm for both parties.
Because you’ll be exchanging sensitive information back and forth with applicants, it’s important that you learn about data protection and even take online IT courses to learn the basics of online safety and how you can ensure data security at every step in the recruitment process. From managing your firewall to improving your data management and storage, all the way to how you communicate with applicants, all of this can strengthen or weaken your level of security.
We all know that creating a compelling narrative is essential for attracting the best of the best in the field, and now that you’re tasked with planning your recruitment strategy for the post-pandemic world, it’s important that you leverage storytelling to attract the best remote workers around. Consider the fact that remote employees and freelancers are not particularly inclined to connect with a brand as their in-house colleagues, so it’s important that you weave storytelling into your recruitment marketing strategy, every piece of content and job posting online, and also your own pitch when you’re communicating with potential candidates.
Lastly, make sure that you’re utilising all of the communication techs at your disposal to reach and engage with the top talent in your industry. Remember that different people like communicating in different ways, and while every applicant will have to jump on a video call at some point, it’s important that you communicate with them via the right channels in the preliminary stages. Consider using everything from social media chats, to email, SMS, direct messaging apps, and even traditional phone calls to stay in touch with candidates throughout the recruitment process.
The recruitment game is changing rapidly, and you need to adapt quickly in order to appeal to the modern job-seeker. Develop these skills and use your tech wisely to attract the best of the best to your digital doorstep.
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