Figures from research firm Gartner show 86 per cent of businesses have been conducting virtual interviews during the pandemic, and 85 percent are using new technology to on-board employees.
Although permanent vacancies fell at their sharpest rate on record in April, a number of sectors did quite well. Some industries even had a surge in hiring. While job openings have dramatically fallen since the start of the outbreak, companies are still hiring, although a lot less than before. Supermarkets increased recruitment, with roles from shop floor assistants through to warehouse workers and delivery drivers. Other sectors hiring during the crisis include technology, banking, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and logistics.
Those organisations continuing to recruit have faced a number of logistical challenges. However, strict social distancing rules make it difficult to interview in person, HR departments are operating remotely so need to coordinate hiring programmes without the benefit of being physically together as a team, and processes such as right to work document checks have to happen per video.
A typical new hiring process would contain: an initial screening via telephone followed by a virtual video interview on Zoom or Microsoft Teams and on boarding can simply be moved online. Induction programmes can be done by introducing a virtual classroom day, explanatory videos are used to show how certain activities should be carried out in practice, and employees can also access additional modules by e-learning.
Doing everything virtually has a big plus point as it creates an audit trail of data and everything is being documented more formally, which is an opportunity for the team to gain better insights into the candidate journey and make long-term improvements to each stage.
Some companies have introduced a Buddy programme, whereby new recruits are partnered with an existing staff member to help them settle in and ensure they have the right level of training before entering the workplace, however this process can already start when working from home so the new employee feels more included even when working from a distance.
What used to take days or a week can now be done in a day by video interviewing, this can vastly accelerate time to hire. In a typical recruitment process you might get a call, you’d have to tie up diaries to meet the client face to face, and then there’d be a long list, a short list, and more diary coordination to meet with the shortlisted candidates. However, now you can arrange a Zoom call with the client straight after getting the brief, interview candidates and get them to ‘meet’ the employer over video. All this compacts the whole process.
Many of the practices necessary because of the coronavirus could stay for good. During this period, processes can be strengthened and some aspects of the recruitment activities could be centralised, such as the initial telephone screening. This could lead to double the conversion rates from application through to offer stage. Then as part of a virtual interview process, behavioural competencies could be built in, which can then be scored and assessed.
While almost a quarter of UK jobs were placed on furlough under the government’s job retention scheme, there has been a hive of recruitment activity happening elsewhere throughout the coronavirus crisis.
The pandemic has helped to “innovate and rethink” elements of the recruitment process. “Incorporating video calling technology to allow for remote interviewing is something that will probably remain, at least for initial interviews. Similarly, an adapted induction programme can prove efficient, and continuation alongside a Buddy programme could be very beneficial in the long term.
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