Businesses strive to survive amid looming uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. In an attempt to create a semblance of normalcy in the conduct of their duties, company divisions have to digitalize their processes. This is especially true for those in charge of recruitment who can not ascertain the safety of going back to face-to-face interviews. Nevertheless, some changes had to be adapted, which will define the new normal recruitment process.
Tapping on Digital Tools
Recruiters owe the continuity of their processes amid pandemic-related interruptions with the ubiquity of file transfer platforms, besides those provided by email. Google apps and Dropbox remain the preferred media of exchange for their free and relative ease of use. But there are many options human resources departments can choose from.
Today, it has become widely acceptable to send out digital resumes and scanned copies of credentials like portfolios and training certificates. Doing so almost scraps the need to submit their printed counterparts. This positively impacts the environment and promotes digitally archiving these files, which are easily retrievable later on.
Human resource managers might agree that online meeting platforms like Google Meet and Zoom offer incredible benefits relative to the performance of their duties. We see more and more companies return to the office. But recruiters can continue to make maximum use of the said tools to keep them on track with their prospecting goals.
Moreover, virtual calendars that automatically give alerts help recruiters efficiently allot a good amount of time to interview shortlisted candidates. This prevents the mistake of overlapping interview schedule slots and maximizes their interview turnaround.
Another trend worth mentioning is the extension of job post announcements from popular career-oriented sites like LinkedIn to social media. Doing so improves the applicant’s reach when searching for careers. Virtual job fairs are also becoming the norm. Rather than shuffling to what might be outdated applicant profiles, recruiters now have better access to active job seekers.
Data Privacy
While innovations like file-sharing tools provide benefits, they may possess loopholes that companies have to be on guard for. It is worth noting that the use of these tools may be beyond what the company’s private network and security can cover. These can pose risks of breaches to the classified documents and digital assets of the company. This calls for stricter implementations of controls like non-disclosure agreements and penalizing violations to institutionalized data privacy laws.
Another aspect of online recruitment that is yet to be fine-tuned is verifying the identity of applicants. The applicant’s references can be reached through the phone. They can also be searched in their respective company portals, or HR can tap the help of background screening services for employees. However, there isn’t a completely flawless yet easy way to confirm a remote applicant’s credentials.
Remote Working Receptiveness
The remote working model has been proven to work. We don’t see how working from anywhere besides the office affects the quality of deliverable performance from employees. Ironically speaking, the ongoing global crisis enabled companies to expand their hiring horizons from local talents to those across the globe. Likewise, these companies that limited employment opportunities to exclusive contracts have been more receptive to project-based arrangements and even accept freelance assistance.
With geographically expanded recruitment criteria, HR managers find that it eases their search for highly qualified candidates. Working with people from more diverse backgrounds lends them fresh perspectives on tackling primordial and significant issues.
Onboarding
Recruits are fortunate to usher in the dawn of pre-recorded or live orientation videos, which they can watch from their computers. On the company’s end, educating new employees on its inside workings through digital means lends them unlimited benefits. That includes time and cost savings related to reproducing training kits for every new hire. This is because materials can be made available online with no access limit.
Moreover, online conferencing tools, perhaps, have made managers’ lives easier. They no longer requiring leaders to micromanage their people, especially new ones. Today, emailing a link to a scheduled meeting is enough to call for focus group discussions, coaching sessions, and even check on how a new employee is faring well in their first few weeks on the job.
The rapidly changing world continues to push even those resistant to technological innovations to leverage its limitless advantages. Just as with any internal business process, recruitment now made primarily online cannot be perfected overnight. Matters like security cannot be viewed as something permanent but with an ever-open perspective for improvement. Things are changing, including the different aspects of running a business. Hiring processes will gain more adjustments in the future.
