Connecting with Talent in a Post-Pandemic World

Tuesday, April 13th, 2021

“The secret to successful hiring is this: look for the people who want to change the world.” – Marc Benioff

While it might have sped up the idea of remote work, virtual interviews, and video conferences, the pandemic can’t take all the credit. The book on talent recruiting is continuously under revision. Succeeding in your industry requires an awareness of trends and a willingness to adapt your recruiting strategies to fit those trends:

• Software
• Make the most of virtual recruiting
• Contingent or freelance workers
• Mobile is upfront and center
• Text recruiting
• Virtual onboarding
• People first
• Invest in your brand

Software: According to Somen Mondal, in a post for ideal., “The capabilities of recruiting software are changing rapidly, and HR Tech, once an oxymoron, is alive and well in 2021.” He shares top recruiting software tools for 2021. A centralized software system will help ensure a streamlined process for talent acquisition.

Make the most of virtual recruiting: Not only does virtual interviewing connect you with top talent, but it also brings a whole new world to job fairs. Holding a virtual job fair allows talent all over the nation – and even globally – to attend the fair. In other words, you can go where the talent goes. Include a video tour of your company, and it’s like being there. Ensure a successful virtual interview or job fair experience by testing your equipment before the main event; use a well-lit and ultra-quiet place to set up your side of the interview. Get creative and add some fun to the fair via virtual games and prizes. Pay attention to your body language. It may be virtual, but attendees and interviewees can still see you!

Contingent or freelance workers: Do you need help on a project, but don’t want to hire someone permanently. Your recruiting firm can find contract/contingent workers to step in, get the job finished, and finished well, before moving on to other pastures. Escape the headaches of w-2s and taxes.

Mobile is upfront and center: 85-90% of job seekers utilize their mobile devices to access opportunities. And why not –Optimize your website, job listings, and online applications, and ensure they are easy to tap into from mobile devices. Create a mobile experience that meets the candidate’s expectations.

Text recruiting: Another aspect of our mobile world, text recruiting will help you stand out in our candidate-driven, increasingly competitive market for talent. SMS can be a powerful promotional tool, encouraging effective communication, time-management, and successful hires. That’s decidedly a win/win for everyone.

Virtual onboarding: Remote work is here to stay –it passed the pandemic proving ground with flying colors, which means you can connect with talent in faraway places. The key is – onboarding is still crucial to job success, increased retention, and reduced turnover. Bruce Anderson shares 8 tips to creating a successful virtual onboarding process in an article for LinkedIn.

People first: In a world of technology, however, it’s crucial to remember that while technology proves to be an invaluable tool, we still must put people first. As you develop your recruiting technology remember the bottom line. It’s about people and the jobs they love to do. Focus on their contributions to your business. Appreciate their tech skills, but focus on their soft skills, the characteristics that make them a great team leader, customer service rep, etc. Invest in technology. Invest more in the people who will be using the technology. Create a memorable candidate experience. A positive candidate experience not only increases the odds that they will accept a position but, even if they don’t, the experience ends on a positive note, and they will be more apt to reapply in the future. Organizations that invest in a strong candidate experience improve their quality of hires by 70%.

Invest in your brand: Being techy may sound like a great goal, but your reputation as a company is vital. In fact, surveys reveal that 75% of job seekers will check out your reputation before applying. Today’s employees are looking for companies that care about their employees, give back to society, support diversity –you get the picture.

Connecting with Waypoint Search, connects you with talent. Contact us today.

Building your company brand in 7 steps
Article from Shopify.com offers valuable insight.
Three key issues include –

1. Research your target audience and your competitors. Understanding what your brand should focus on and how it can position itself apart from competitors is foundational.
2. Pick your focus and personality. Your unique value proposition is essential to your message.
3. Apply your branding across your business. Create your story. Ensure that every employee knows it and your community presence solidifies it.

For the entire article: https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-build-a-brand