At Network ESC, we know finding people and building a strong, cohesive team takes time and energy. With economists predicting that unemployment could double by this year’s end, many companies will not feel confident about making the commitment to recruit and train new staff remotely. This is where getting creative with your employment arrangements can help. Here are some recruitment tips when faced with a recession and high unemployment:
Make the most of it and shift focus to the current workforce. – In order to come up with a new or edited strategy, a flexible mindset is key. By keeping an open mind and exploring different options for meeting your hiring or project objectives, you increase the chances of finding a solution that works for your situation. Employees can also use their skills part-time or on a contract basis to maintain income and stay active while the economy recovers.
Define what the organization needs now and in the future – Approach your planning like a restructure. Define your organization’s goals and aspirations, both short and long-term. Then use that strategy to determine if you have any gaps in your current workforce or whether you are going to need more people going forward. This will inform what types of candidates and skills are needed. Additionally, businesses should refresh and cleanse their job postings online. New postings will get the most traction than the ones posted even a month ago because they will be viewed as potentially not relevant anymore. Recruitment and HR technology can also help streamline the hiring process and using technology to place job ads on social media helps with applicant tracking, pre-employment assessments, and remote interviewing. It’s important to live by a new process of “remote totality” which includes attracting, screening, recruiting, onboarding, training, and developing a work routine for all new hires remotely.
Keep being a good employer and adapting to the remote changes – Hiring qualified talent in a quick and efficient manner is crucial to fill open positions and continue providing strong business outcomes during this time. Because of COVID-19, recruitment marketing strategies will need to pivot to focus on hiring candidates for flexible roles that can also be done from home. Just because we are facing a recession and pandemic, it doesn’t mean an organization can overlook its obligations as an employer. All employment laws about acting in good faith and being fair as well as reasonable still apply.
The extent of change can be intimidating but having clear goals makes it is easier to remain focused on what needs to be achieved. This can apply to many aspects of the business but, in relation to recruitment, staying committed to the end goal of filling vacancies is fundamental in ensuring that your team stays on course for success. Network ESC has always provided more than highly skilled professionals across disciplines and established several Specialized Practices that would help your business grow. Reach out to us today to learn how!