As a reaction to global health concerns in Spring 2020, many companies paused or scaled-back their recruitment activities. For many, it was an economic reality. The result? Fewer companies hiring.
For those that are still actively hiring, current recruitment processes have lengthened. Travel restrictions, inability to interview face-to-face, self-isolation requirements, inability to change, and an underlying level of fear contributed.
With the large influx of individuals in the marketplace – many with more desperation to find employment than previous periods – we feel attention should be paid on three things:
- Improving your Employer Brand
- Streamlining the Hiring Process
- Activate your Onboarding Process
Improve Employer Branding
Why should attention be paid on this where there are a lot of unemployed individuals out there? There is a vast difference between a jobseeker and a career-seeker. Those in the former category will apply to everything and hope for a response – they will accept any offer and possibly keep looking for something better.
For this blog, I am focusing on the career-seeker – those that know what they want and, hopefully, have a plan to get there! They may be just as determined to find employment, but their focus is more long-term. Before applying, they will do their due diligence to research your company. I am not talking about them looking at your website! They will do that, of course, but they will also examine your online presence and reputation.
Social media, online reviews, and poor customer service can break the best organization. A positive employer brand entices potential candidates, keeps those in the hiring process engaged, and positions your organization to attract candidates once the job market returns to normal. Do your research, be objective! With what you are reading, is this an organization for which you would like to work? What is the word in the industry? Improve the perception with targeted marketing.
Streamline the Hiring Process
Indulge me as I ask you to take a step back and truly evaluate the time it takes a candidate from application to hire – assuming all parties are available for timely interviews. How many touchpoints are there for the candidate? Now take a look at it but add in the delays due to the current global health concern. How has your recruitment process lengthened? Change or shorten processes? Are there any tools or automation you add in to streamline one or two of the steps? The ultimate goal, of course, is to keep a candidate engaged while ensuring a quality hire.
Some have added in more scientifically-based pre-screening and shortlisting tools that get a candidate to the interview stage sooner. There has been a significant increase in video interviewing since March 2020 which has basically replaced the face-to-face interview – that alone has significantly streamlined both the interview process and travel time.
Activate your Onboarding Process
Onboarding is the final stage of the recruitment process and it begins at the time of offer acceptance – not on day 1. After acceptance is when the candidate can have second thoughts! You need to ensure that candidate knows they are welcome, that their time is valuable, and that they are expected and wanted.
Think about your first day – did it include a bunch of paperwork and training? How much time did you spend getting to know your team – the ‘gang’ that you were spending 40+ hours per week? Did you have your business cards, email, and computer setup and ready to go immediately? If applicable, was your nametag on your desk/door?
If these little things are overlooked, doubts come in, concerns are raised. A solid onboarding program has been proven to improve retention rates by 82%! It is this onboarding process that is the new hire’s first ‘official’ introduction to your company and team – a poor first impression is a large reason staff leave within the first 90 days.
One suggestion I have made over the years – have the start-date on a Friday – have that day where the new employee gets to know everyone and they are shown around. Coming to work on Monday will be much less intimidating and the butterflies will have subsided a lot. Another suggestion is to utilize an
online onboarding program to streamline the paperwork aspect of the job – allow them to finish it online at their pace with a deadline. Perhaps even send it to them a couple of days before they start, it shows they are expected and welcomed!
