As digitization, coupled with the global pandemic, propels contingent hiring online and with more individuals relying on employer reviewer sites to evaluate businesses, delivering a positive[...]
With the outbreak of coronavirus sneaking into nearly every headline (this one included) and every conversation, humanity is realizing how much we’re drifting into uncharted waters…make that getting trapped in a powerful, inescapable current toward uncharted waters. We’re only beginning to understand the far-reaching implications while adjusting to the immediate effects.
The stock market resurgence we’ve recently enjoyed has all but vanished. The normalcy of three weeks ago feels like a different lifetime as we watch not only national borders shutter for the foreseeable future, but also many of our neighborhood diners and coffee shops. And an entirely new term has entered our collective vocabulary: social distancing. If we do end up waiting 12 to 18 months for a vaccine, as some models have suggested, we may be looking at social distancing not only in the shape of sitting six feet away from others but also long-term fully remote workforces.
Many have been dealing with the fear and uncertainty with humorous memes of introverts everywhere celebrating. But as we adjust to what could be our new normal, how are companies planning to move forward, and help maintain stability, for their workforces?
LinkedIn has given candidates the option to either move forward with scheduled interviews virtually or postpone them until it’s once again possible to meet in person. But considering how we may need to adjust how we work not just for the next three weeks, but the next 18 months, it’s unlikely that companies can postpone all hiring efforts until it is safe to resume in-person interviews. In fact, a few of the U.S.’s leading companies have already adjusted their hiring processes.
Amazon and Google, for example, have gone a step farther than LinkedIn. Rather than postponing their hiring efforts, they’ve moved nearly all in-person interviews to web-based ones.
We’ve looked at how forward-thinking companies, including a few of our clients, have adapted their hiring processes and paired it with our experience of virtually crowdsourcing hiring efforts to create a list of tips for hiring safely in the age of COVID-19.
1. Use a secure, centralized system for all hiring-related tasks. This way all parties, including current employees, vendors, and candidates, can use a web-based system without installing any software and putting your company at risk.
2. Expand your use of web-based sourcing techniques. Now is a great time to go beyond job boards and social media as your only virtual sourcing tools. Get ahead of the staffing challenges that may result from extended social distancing, including stay-at-home orders, by considering new, innovative sourcing and recruiting tools. Many have been designed to take place remotely, including Crowdstaffing’s cloud-based remote hiring network and vendor management system for contingent hiring.
3. Forego onsite interviews, opting instead for video interviews. If you don’t have one already, secure a video conferencing tool that will allow your hiring managers and recruiters to schedule and host candidate interviews virtually.
4. Make onboarding digital. As companies begin to require employees to work from home, it goes without saying that new employees will have the same expectation. To ensure that onboarding goes smoothly, move new employee paperwork to digital, e-signature forms. And maintain as much a sense of normalcy as you can. If you’d normally schedule a team lunch to welcome new members, for instance, invite them to meet over food in a virtual hangout.
5. Keep working environments safe and clean.Of course, some sectors, like medical, eCommerce, warehousing and transportation, are booming and need to hire for jobs that cannot be done remotely. In these cases, provide onsite workers with a COVID-19 Mitigation Kit that complies with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, comprised of:
During these uncertain times, more and more companies have been shifting their workforces to work from home. Many processes and tasks formerly done in cubicles, offices, and conference rooms, are now moving to virtual workspaces. As a fully remote company since inception with cloud-based software that helps businesses virtually source, hire, and onboard candidates, we’re happy to help however we can. If you need help remotely sourcing and hiring candidates, especially more flexible contingent labor, request a demo today. We’ll also be happy to discuss which tools we use to communicate with and manage our remote staff, so feel free to reach out.
