According to The Wall Street Journal, there’s growing recognition that students need to immerse themselves in a variety of new subjects if they’re going to be ready for the changing job market’s skills and dynamics.

For example, the Journal said, big tech companies are spending a lot of money to develop products and services for the metaverse. That, in turn, could open up new job opportunities for graduating students, and those new jobs will have new requirements.

That means some areas will evolve to keep up with the times. Studies of artificial intelligence, for example, will add courses on its ethical application, the Journal said. Engineers will need to decide how much risk can be built into machines, an especially fraught notion for applications involved with medical care.

Texas A&M and more than a dozen other schools are using grant money from Google to develop classes examining just such scenarios, the Journal said.

The Digital Approach

In the metaverse – or, we should say for the metaverse – colleges are instructing students to take fresh looks at areas such as pricing and cost of production. For instance, a digital New York City penthouse with views of Central Park isn’t nearly as exclusive as the real thing. You can only build one apartment, after all, but the digital property can be copied, and sold, any number of times. That means the penthouse in the metaverse is less exclusive than the one in Manhattan.

Networking is another area getting attention. Because of the pandemic, students operating from home missed out on learning the social skills that are important to finding and winning a job, and then progressing along a career path. Courses will spend more time on networking and professional ethics, the Journal said. At some schools, courses on basics like creating a resume or a LinkedIn profile will be included in the syllabus.

For students especially, it may be a relatively short leap from networking to the idea of becoming an influencer. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In 2023, marketers will spend more than $4 billion on influencer campaigns, the Journal said, up from more than $3 billion last year. Colleges are responding by offering courses on media influence and personal branding.

All of this is good news for employers – and recruiters – who bemoan the way many universities don’t keep up with their needs. At the least, these efforts show, the schools are trying.

The post Colleges Evolve Courses to Meet New Employer Demands appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

But there’s good news! Big challenges create great opportunities.

Join Clovers and our distinguished panel of guests for a discussion on why recruiters should actually be excited for 2022.

With so much investment and attention on workforce improvements, there have never been more ways to drive real change and business impact for your organization.

In this candid discussion with industry thought leaders we will discuss topics like:

HR Tech VC investments

• • How the enormous VC investments in HR Tech are creating real solutions enabling recruiters to hire faster, more effectively and humanizing the process

Increased job accessibility

• • How you can benefit from the shift to hybrid/remote work and take advantage of the broader talent pool.

The Shift to Internal Mobility:

• • Ways organizations are aggressively investing in strategies and tools to retain top talent

Focus on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging):

• • How organizations are investing in and prioritizing DEIB initiatives within their organization.

About Clovers:

Clovers is the intelligent interview platform that uses human and conversational intelligence to accelerate hiring, uncover bias, and put the right people in the right role—every time.

Founded and built by HR tech veterans from Cornerstone and Comparably, and led by an executive team with deep HR tech, SaaS and product experience, Clovers is focused on making interviewing better for both organizations and candidates.

The post Don’t Worry, Be Happy: Why Recruiters Should Look Forward to 2022 appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

But there’s good news! Big challenges create great opportunities.

Join Clovers and our distinguished panel of guests for a discussion on why recruiters should actually be excited for 2022.

With so much investment and attention on workforce improvements, there have never been more ways to drive real change and business impact for your organization.

In this candid discussion with industry thought leaders we will discuss topics like:

HR Tech VC investments

• • How the enormous VC investments in HR Tech are creating real solutions enabling recruiters to hire faster, more effectively and humanizing the process

Increased job accessibility

• • How you can benefit from the shift to hybrid/remote work and take advantage of the broader talent pool.

The Shift to Internal Mobility:

• • Ways organizations are aggressively investing in strategies and tools to retain top talent

Focus on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging):

• • How organizations are investing in and prioritizing DEIB initiatives within their organization.

About Clovers:

Clovers is the intelligent interview platform that uses human and conversational intelligence to accelerate hiring, uncover bias, and put the right people in the right role—every time.

Founded and built by HR tech veterans from Cornerstone and Comparably, and led by an executive team with deep HR tech, SaaS and product experience, Clovers is focused on making interviewing better for both organizations and candidates.

The post Don’t Worry, Be Happy: Why Recruiters Should Look Forward to 2022 appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

This three-part eBook looks at what’s next for human resources and talent acquisition. Part one makes a case for 2021 as HR’s moment of radical praxis, part two for rebuilding the relationship with TA, and part three for recentering what functions as the heart of organizations.

Inside the Cover

1. Radical Praxis: What Happens When HR Gets Rehired?
2. Radical Empathy: A New Relationship for HR and Recruiting
3. Radical Flexibility: The Great ReawakeningAbout the authors

The post Radical Empathy, Radical Praxis, Radical Flexibility appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

During a recent webinar, William Tincup, President and Editor-at-Large for RecruitingDaily, joined Socrates to talk through common challenges within onboarding and how employers can overcome these obstacles to create a streamlined process that feels personalized.

Here are some key findings from our discussion:  

Onboarding requires alignment 

The employee experience starts with recruiting, not on day one. Tincup shared that pre-COVID, “Onboarding was the line of demarcation between talent acquisition and human resources.”

He explained that TA finds the candidates, gets them to apply, does the interviews and assessments, and delivers the offer letter before passing the baton over the HR. Then, all of a sudden, it’s up to HR to carry the baton and take this newly minted hire on through the employee experience.

For companies to take onboarding to the next level, they need to align stakeholders and activities from pre-boarding on.

It’s more than a checklist 

There are the perfunctory parts of onboarding. The forms to fill out, trainings to complete, a laptop to set up, and so on. But at some point, Tincup said, companies depersonalized the employee side of the business, implementing master checklists on the front end and the back.

That means learning more about candidates and, in turn, employees – beyond their birthday. The cake in the break room is table stakes.

Companies need to consider family structure, anniversaries, hobbies, career goals, and the line, and then use this information to create an experience that supports the whole person coming into work.

Moments matter most 

Eventually, whether it’s two months or two years in, there comes the time to reflect on the hire, from the company and employer perspective, as well as the employee perspective.

When this happens, most of us gravitate towards the moments that mattered most – the ones that stuck out – good or bad. To make onboarding part of the good, think about how to make the transition smoother for a new hire.

Tincup gave an example from a recent conversation with a company that sends an “office in a box.” Everything from the desk and mat to microphone and lighting. Imagine if every day was that easy.

Digital experiences are people’s experience

Technology success means more than having a working computer. As Tincup said, “it’s bi-directional,” meaning that the company wants to give employees the opportunity to learn about the organization as they start, and employees want the chance to get to know the company and its many nuances throughout their tenure.

Employers must recognize the value of digital experiences from every day to those moments that matter most. That means giving employees straightforward answers to questions about corporate values, healthcare and benefits, paid leave options, and safety policies, to name a few.  

Collect feedback

In our conversation, we tackled the potential for increased turnover on the other side of the pandemic. Here, Tincup offered multiple takes, floating the idea of “stay interviews” as a way to understand what keeps employees retained within a company and how their experience might inform onboarding for others.

Like an exit interview, a stay interview gives the company to hear about how processes function in terms of user experience. It’s also the chance to connect or reconnect with employees who might otherwise weigh their options or think about finding a new job.

Reframe the narrative

Tincup posed the question, “What should we stop doing in onboarding?” which opened the discussion up to the elephant in the room: what will the world look like post-COVID? By now, most will agree the pandemic has reframed the way we think about life, but no one is quite sure what that means for work.

Tincup urged attendees to take this to heart and begin to process the experience. He gave the example of business travel, something he did almost constantly in the before times. Tincup openly admitted that wouldn’t be the case anymore, adding, “It’s going to have to take something really, really compelling to get me on a plane.”

These slight shifts will add up to significant changes.

That’s just scratching the surface of what got covered. Lucky for you, there’s still time to access the webinar recording, on-demand, and soak in all the other pearls of wisdom Tincup offered – and if your company is thinking now’s the time to improve onboarding, that’s a lot of knowledge to leave on the table.

The post Legendary Onboarding – What It Is and How to Get It appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

It is only a matter of time until remote hiring becomes the norm. Not every business can afford to work remotely. However, remote work offers tremendous potential. With over 40 percent of the American population working remotely, there is a reason why remote work is so popular. 

If you are having trouble deciding whether you should opt for remote hiring across borders or not, you have come to the right place. This post takes a close look at why talent is always greener on the other side.

1. More Acceptable Candidates

When you take the remote route, you open up the doors to a huge influx of qualified candidates. The chances are that finding talent in your current location is harder than you thought. You can easily find more candidates by offering remote work opportunities.

Businesses that are operating in locations that do not offer access to talent can hire talent across borders by providing qualified candidates with the opportunity to work from their respective countries.

Remote work is especially suitable for service industries, such as software development companies that develop websites and apps for small businesses, recruitment firms, media houses, and digital marketing firms, etc.

2. Improves Quality of Hires

The further you expand your net for hiring talent, the better the quality of your hires. Straying away from the regional hotspot can help open up a much larger talent pool. It pays to ditch your backyard for greener pastures. 

Besides, the less you compete with local companies, the better. Going remote provides you with the opportunity to expand the hiring strategy. Thus, the talent pool would grow in overall quality. It means that your team would no longer be dependent on those candidates that can apply for a job in person. 

Now, you can source employees from outside your state or even country. Some notable countries which offer outstanding talent include Germany, Brazil, and Pakistan. As the recruitment process will be done remotely, you will get to source employees from beyond your country lines.

3. Anyone Could Prove To Be Perfect

The truth is that there is no secret technique to finding the best talent. Anyone could prove to be perfect for the job. Finding talent is similar to finding flowers. There is no such thing as barriers. A good candidate could sprout from just about anywhere. 

There is no reason for you to restrict your search based on location. There are different factors that affect the growth of a candidate. The location simply has no significance in the world of today. 

With high-speed internet becoming the norm in Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is possible to source talent from just about any part of the globe. 

The only thing that you need to look for is communication skills. If the candidate has superior communication skills, you should have no trouble working with them. Geographical borders hold no importance as we live in a digital world. 

Moreover, the online world has everything to offer. Coding language boot camps, diploma courses, international online university degrees, and remote crash-courses equip interested individuals with the skills needed to work any job they want. 

As the knowledge gap has decreased considerably, remote workers can handle anything that a local worker can. 

4. Gain Competitive Edge

When you employ a remote workforce, you gain a competitive edge. For instance, you could hire workers who speak a variety of languages such as French, Urdu, Persian, Malay, and Korean, in addition to English. 

By hiring global talent, you get to hire employees who have a diverse set of skills. Thus, you would be in a better position to compete in your market. With competition on the rise, you need to use every opportunity you can get to stand out. 

5. Operate in a Globalized World

To operate in a globalized world, you need a global workforce. This is possible by hiring remotely across borders. Gain a unique perspective from each worker to better cater to your customers. You can take advantage of your global workforce to enter new markets and more.

Companies today need to have employees that speak multiple languages and are able to work in different time zones. The best way to handle the increased pressure is by hiring workers to work remotely in different locations.

6. New Ideas

A great benefit of hiring remote workers from different countries is that you get to explore new ideas. You might have not even thought about doing things a certain way, and a new employee could help simplify things for you.

Similarly, the unique experience of each employee could open a world of unlimited potential for your business. Brainstorming will be a lot more effective, and you will get some amazing ideas which you can immediately put to good use. 

7. Easy to Manage a Remote Team

Managing a remote team is very easy, especially since there are plenty of remote collaboration tools available such as Slack and Trello. You can use these tools to manage your team and monitor their work effectively.

Each remote collaboration tool offers a ton of features such as scheduling, setting deadlines, sending messages, and more. By using any one of the tools, you can get started with remote work. The best thing is that it barely costs a few dollars to use them.

8. Cost-Effective

Finally, remote hiring across borders could prove cost-effective. It is possible to hire an outstanding employee for a fraction of the cost from across the globe. Therefore, you can easily cut down costs by hiring a remote workforce. 

Remote Hiring Across Borders

Remote hiring is the future. It provides unlimited opportunities to businesses that are able to manage a remote workforce. From finding more acceptable candidates to affordability, remote hiring is the way to go.  

The post Remote Hiring Across Borders: The Talent is Always Greener on the Other Side appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

In support of this, I asked women from across the HR and recruiting space to offer advice or “challenges” to their fellow business leaders.

Challenges that will help keep women in the workforce, or alternatively, work to bring them back following the ongoing exodus. Here are their responses (alphabetically, by last name):

Rocki Howard, Chief Diversity Officer at SmartRecruiters, says,

 “Assess opportunities and embrace flexibility. Does your role actually require a full-time person, one person, or a person to work “regular” hours?

Does it matter if someone submits the P&L at 9:00 am or 9:00 pm, assuming it is submitted on time? Challenge your organization to find ways to create outcome-based opportunities, the ability to work during non-traditional hours, or job share.

These options could open opportunities for a diverse set of talented women while adding value to the company.”

Jeanette Leeds, Managing Director and Head of Americas at Oleeo, offers,

“Seriously focus on opening up the pathway back for women who have opted out of the workforce.

There is an amazing untapped talent pool that is just waiting to be accessed – you have to keep in mind there may be a need for flexible or part-time roles – which is even more doable than ever from a business perspective with the world of work now changed by COVID-19.

Even before COVID, I hired incredibly talented women on my team – from marketing to finance to HR – they were ready to return to the workforce, and all were rock stars. Complete win/win situation for everyone.” 

Caitlin MacGregor, CEO of Plum, thinks, 

“To help people and businesses meet the challenges of our new working reality, we have to put people in jobs that align with their unique talents. 

People thrive at work when they are in roles that play to their natural strengths, and this is key for keeping women in the workforce.

Working in a role that drains you becomes nearly impossible when you’re facing the demands of caregiving, especially in this pandemic.”

Monique Mendoza, Recruiting Lead at Humanly, explains, 

“To help hire more women at an organization, hiring managers can start by cutting out nonessential qualifications off of job descriptions.

Studies show that women tend to only apply to roles where they meet all of the qualifications, while men are likely to apply to roles even if they only meet a fraction of the listed qualifications.

Shortening the list to just the crucial requirements for the role will likely attract more female applicants.”

Talent acquisition consultant and founder of How to Level Up Rhona Pierce believes,

“One of the main things leaders can do to keep women in the workplace is to be intentional about advocating for us.

Don’t just leave this up to HR and DE&I practitioners. Most of the initiatives around advocating for women in the workplace teach women to advocate for themselves, and that’s great, but what we really need is a culture where everyone is empowered to call out unfair treatment, lack of opportunities, pay inequality, etc.”

Jay Polaki, founder and CEO of HR Geckos, comments,

“Women have consistently shown up during this crisis and led with grit and determination, pivoting when and where needed with great dexterity, proving they are better leaders in a crisis.

To keep women from leaving the workplace, leaders should reciprocate and advocate for their female workforce while ensuring that such advocacy aligns with the person’s abilities and offerings during these unpredictable times. Meeting women where they are and providing resources to help them remain engaged and motivated in the work they are doing is key.”

Polaki continues, “Scheduling and flexibility have always been a challenge for women in the workplace who have myriad responsibilities outside of work. Working with women’s schedules, especially with women of color who have suffered the highest job losses and will be slower to recover, is paramount.

By addressing the “why?” and the “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) for women in a workplace with competing priorities, leaders can begin to ensure women employees are getting meaning out of their work and thus remain engaged and active.

For instance, if you are in the healthcare industry, ask your women workforce to think about how their work impacts not just the patients they serve but the community they live in. Helping them derive meaning from their work will galvanize the women in your workforce to stay engaged and remain with your organization.”

HR consultant Tamara M Rasberry, SHRM-CP, PHR, of Rasberry Consulting, writes,

“FLEXIBILITY IS KEY. Working women have so many competing needs and responsibilities, from self-care to childcare to elder care and everything in between.

Leaders wanting to attract and/or retain women employees need to understand the importance of allowing them the flexibility to be successful in all aspects of their life, not just work.

That includes generous PTO as well as remote work and other flexible work options.”  

Jennifer Ravalli, Vice President, Marketing at PandoLogic, presents two challenges.

The first for when women return to work after having a child, “Prepare for this just like you would a new hire. Give her a mentor that has been through it to talk to openly, make sure all of her systems work, orient her to what has changed, stayed the same, and where you need her to focus.

Work together on an achievable 90-day plan, so she feels confident re-entering and taking back her responsibilities.”

For the second, Ravalli speaks to workload and achievement, “According to the 2018 Hive Gender Study, women are assigned more of the work (54.9%) and complete 10% more than men.

I challenge leaders to make sure that the work being assigned to women is equally as promotable as the work being assigned to men.”

Amy Roy, Chief People Officer at Namely, shares, 

“The challenge for leaders, is to find compelling reasons for keeping women in the workplace.

What programs do you offer that appeal to the needs of women? Do you offer specific coaching or mentoring opportunities? A safe space to discuss the needs of women in the workplace. Benefits, perks, and/or flexible scheduling?”

Roy continues, “Talk to the employees who associate as female and see what they value and if what you are offering matches what’s valued.

Do your company values and culture support the needs of women in the workplace? For example, if you value the employee experience, what do you offer that support working women who are often the primary caregiver in their homes?”

In Closing

It’s evident in reading these thoughts, that we’re overdue for meaningful change in the workplace. Change that recognizes the work women do and the value they provide. Change that promotes flexibility and destigmatizes having responsibilities that extend outside office hours.

In closing, one more challenge, after today, and after the end of Women’s History Month, what will do you to change work for good?

The post IWD 2021 #ChooseToChallenge: Supporting Women in the Workplace appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

While it may seem to be a slow march to pre-pandemic unemployment levels, BLS data shows that overall hiring continues to pick up each month. That said, it’s a workforce that no longer looks the same. 

To hire the workforce of now, companies need a flexible recruiting strategy that takes into account both current market dynamics and candidate trends. A company’s best defense against the challenges ahead? Recruiters.

Recruiters are your built-in subject matter experts, living day in and day out on the front line of market and candidate trends. However, fluctuating market conditions and company demands often leave recruiters and hiring managers on different pages.

All too often, the result is that recruiters are asked to deliver high-quality candidates based on moving targets. 

During this economic recovery, recruiters and hiring managers need to work together in order to get the right talent in the door – new talent that adds to your total workforce and creates exponential value.

Recruiters have an opportunity to shape their company’s talent acquisition strategy in real-time to build in the flexibility needed to both attract and hire the best candidates as well as respond to changing hiring manager demands. 

Three major trends, three ways for recruiters to stand out

There are many significant changes to recruiting in this COVID era of work, and recruiters are best equipped to help businesses – and hiring managers themselves – navigate through them. Here are three of the top ways recruiters can shape TA strategies that deliver results.

The biggest process change: Interviews

Video interviewing isn’t new. In fact, a 2019 Institute of Student Employers (ISE) survey found that 47% of employers were using it pre-pandemic. What has changed is that now companies are using video for the entire end-to-end hiring process, from sourcing through onboarding.

In the year ahead and beyond, this trend will persist. Investments have already been made in the technology needed to support remote hiring, and many offices won’t fully open back up this year. 

While recruiters are accustomed to video interviewing, many hiring managers are still learning the ropes. Here’s how recruiters can help them make the most out of it:

• Provide training for hiring managers to help them adjust to digital hiring practices.
• Track metrics like time-to-fill to show improvements.
• Gather candidate and hiring manager experience feedback over time to refine the process.

The biggest talent change: Location

The remote work revolution is here, and all signs point to it staying for good. According to a PwC survey conducted in late 2020, 83% of companies were planning to continue on with some form of remote work environment, either full time or hybrid, or acknowledged that their workforce preferred it.

For hiring managers who are brand new to filling their roles with remote talent, there’s a bit of a learning curve. While managers know the role better than anyone, recruiters know where to find the candidates and the likelihood of top talent accepting the position.

Recruiters have two things at their disposal that no one else has. First is real-time data insights into the hiring market. Today’s technologies can tell them where qualified candidates live, their salary requirements, and what supply and demand looks like in different geographies.

Second, recruiters spend the majority of their time interacting with candidates. There is no better source on what candidates want and what would make them take a job with your company than recruiters.

To demonstrate this value and help hiring managers find the best remote talent faster, recruiters can:

• Come armed with data when discussing new hiring needs with managers.
• Provide relevant, real-time candidate feedback to improve the hiring outcome.
• Share trends generally throughout the company to bolster their reputation as a partner to hiring managers.

The biggest social change: DEI

The social unrest of 2020 has landed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the top of the corporate agenda. Now more than ever, companies are being asked to communicate their DEI goals to internal and external stakeholders, and just as importantly, share progress on where they stand in reaching them.

Monster research found that 86% of candidates say DEI is important to them, and 62% would turn down a role if the company didn’t support diversity. 

This heightened focus on DEI also means that recruiters are being asked to help companies deliver on them from a hiring standpoint. But they aren’t alone. The demand for diverse talent is higher than ever, and recruiters who can successfully communicate a company’s sincerity and commitment will win out.

There are a few ways recruiters can help their employers move the needle. The best way to start is to:

• Help stakeholders develop the right DEI messages for candidates.
• Advise hiring managers on current access to diverse talent to set expectations properly
• Help managers take advantage of remote work to tap into diverse talent pools.

Both candidates and hiring managers need to respect recruiters and feel as though they’re representing them and their interests well.

During this time of market uncertainty and change, recruiters have the chance to show real value and ensure each of them are successful in their search for their next role or their next great hire.

The post TA Needs to Flex, and Recruiters Should Lead the Way appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

The pandemic has left an indelible mark on the priorities of many industries. There are always going to be negative consequences to a public health emergency, but it also allows businesses to examine whether their methods of working really are best suited to them, their customers, and the contemporary climate. A popular area for change and discussion at the moment is remote operations.

While working from home has been an immediate solution for some enterprises, for many this has developed into a more permanent part of the business. One recent report found that those businesses surveyed expect their number of permanently remote staff to double in 2021.

Indeed, there will be many staff, customers, and even industry peers that find this is both a more positive and responsible way to operate. Yet this presents a quandary for some enterprises, who are uncertain whether this approach is beneficial for them — particularly those companies who emphasize in-person interactions.

It’s not an easy decision to make, and there are various elements to take into account. Let’s look into some of the aspects that should factor into your evaluation of permanent remote operations.

The Pros

One of the reasons that more businesses are moving to make remote operations permanent is that even those that hadn’t previously considered it an option are finding it beneficial. Some of the key advantages that are worth taking into consideration in your evaluation include:

• Improved Diversity

Having a workforce that operates from their own homes is not just convenient, it opens your business up to talent from around the planet. It minimizes location bias, allowing you to benefit from contributors from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.

It provides new cultural perspectives that can improve your connections to a wider demographic of customers. Having a more diverse workforce is also known to be a driver of innovation, as you have a team that doesn’t all think or act from a culturally, educationally, or economically homogeneous position.

• Lower Overheads

Rent, utilities, insurance, cleaning — it all adds up, and it all eats into profits. You’ll generally find that few if any of these apply to businesses that have a remote workforce. It’s important to note that remote employees have needs, though.

You should be open to negotiating with your employees for the provision of elements such as office equipment and technology, and you’re likely to still need liability insurance as remote workers qualify for compensation if they are injured on the job. That said, you are likely to make significant savings.

• Employee Satisfaction

Yes, in-person teams can be good for morale. But so do flexibility, comfortable surroundings, and not having to spend hours each week on that commute into the office. Workers who operate remotely tend to have a higher rate of satisfaction in their jobs, as — when done correctly — can be more conducive to a healthy work-life balance.

In turn, this satisfaction positively impacts productivity and boosts employee retention.    

The Cons

While there are benefits to remote operations, that’s not to say that it is entirely without challenges. It is certainly not suitable for every organization.

It’s worth considering the cons in a way that both aids your decision-making and helps you prevent disruption if you decide to adopt remote practices in the future.  

Issues can include:

• More Complex Administration

Onboarding and payroll for employees in a single location tends to be simpler. Indeed, when setting up payroll for a remote workforce from diverse locations, you also have to take into consideration the legal issues of doing so — there may be taxes that you need to collect based on their state residence or differing social security payments for the country they’re working from.

This is not an insurmountable obstacle; some tools and processes can optimize these elements to suit remote teams. However, it’s an important additional responsibility that you should bear in mind.

• Weaker Team Culture

One of the reasons some businesses prefer in-person operations is that they can feel more naturally conducive to a close team culture. All the workers are interacting in the same space, and there are generally more opportunities for them to forge deeper bonds with one another and the company.

Remote operations create more distance between team members and leadership, with a reliance on utilizing technological tools to communicate rather than having easy conversations. That’s not to say that it is not possible to have a strong and compassionate culture in remote teams, it just takes additional effort and planning.  

Preparing for the Adjustment

Whether you’ve already decided to go ahead and adopt permanent remote practices, or you’re still uncertain, it’s important to consider how your business can adjust effectively.

There are some preparations that, with some additional investment and attention, can help you and your remote team to succeed.

These include:

• Onboarding and Training

The process of guiding new hires through remote practices is not necessarily the same as in person. Alongside sharing the usual handbooks, you also need to prepare documents that help them to understand what your expectations are for their productivity levels and working activities as a remote employee.

You must take time to discuss how they can fit into the overall company culture while not being physically present, too. It can be prudent to set up remote contract sharing and signing platforms.

You may need to establish ahead of time what tools you will use to guide workers through training — will you be screen sharing as you explain processes, or will you create a series of video explainers beforehand?

• Communications

This is probably the most important element to prepare for any transition to remote practices. Without reliable, easy-to-use tools that are appropriate for your activities, there is likely to be serious disruption.

Wherever possible, utilize software that encompasses as many of your operating procedures as possible — platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Asana allow video calls, text chat, and project management in the same place.

Don’t just find tools for communications, but formalize protocols to ensure everyone is using them in ways that not only allow them to be productive but also strengthen team bonds.

Conclusion

Remote operations are an increasingly popular part of our business landscape. However, before leaping in, it’s important to consider how the relative pros and cons of these practices can impact your company.

Knowing what aspects of practices can be adapted to meet your needs, and some attention to preparations can set you off on solid footing.

The post Evaluating if Permanent Remote Work is Worth It appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

The Great Reawakening

If we’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s that the “doing things the way we’ve always done them” fixes absolutely nothing. Knowing that the world has experienced a period of collective, sustained trauma, there’s been a lot of talk about building resilience, agility, flexibility, and the like.

But what about grace? For ourselves and those around us? HR has long had its critics, both external and even some on the inside, doing the work. Where are the encouragers? Are you one?  

The HR of 2021 is not going to be the same HR of 2020. Nor is it going to be the HR of 2019, 2009, or anything before. The HR of 2021 is part of a great reawakening on the part of organizations and the larger collective consciousness. In part one of this series, we advocated for introspection and a call to action.

In part two, we talked about empathy and repairing the relationship between HR and TA.

Now, it’s time to think about the future.  

Lars Schmidt refers to HR’s internal conflict in his book, Redefining HR, reminding us that there is a distinction between the old-school teams and next-generation leaders. More than that, what we need at this exact moment is a way to and solidify HR as a next-generation function.

Finding Center

Given its role at the center of the action, critical to the health of the overall organization and all of its various functions, we would argue for HR as the heart, anatomically and metaphorically. The heart is necessary. You quite literally can’t go on without it, and yet, it’s pretty easy to overlook just how important it is, day-to-day.

You don’t always see your heart. You don’t always know when it’s hurting. And as a result, we sometimes end up more damaged than we realize.

There are a number of ways we could take this metaphor. However, we’re not here to talk about HR in a cutesy, Valentine’s paper heart sort of way. That’s been done before.

There are no two ways about it: HR is a vital organ and, as it stands today, is pretty broken. And once you’ve been heartbroken, you have to pick up the pieces. You have to reconsider patterns and habits. You have to rethink who you were, decide who you want to be, and unlearn what you once believed in order to evolve.

Reflecting on her 2020 HR heartbreak, Kayla Moncayo wrote, “We must stop convincing humanity they have to experience tragedy to earn good things in life.”

Do you hear us, HR?

We want to see HR through a “can’t live without out it” lens. In a “this is the department that keeps your organization happy, healthy, and alive” sort of way. CEOs are always the first to say that their people are their biggest asset. And HR represents the people.

Despite this undeniable connection, the HR muscle has weakened over the years, and its heartbeat has slowed. But HR can’t neglect its own health any longer.

Beyond Purpose

The pre-pandemic narrative focused heavily on reskilling and upskilling in the face of automation. We read scary statistics from McKinsey that estimated “between 400 and 800 million individuals could be displaced” and “75 million to 375 million may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills.”

We talked about work-life balance or work-life integration and whether remote work was actually productive. We let HR get sick with worry about an unknown future rather than work as an organization’s main artery of support.

You’ve likely heard of purpose-driven organizations. Deloitte explains that purpose “articulates why an organization exists, what problems it is here to solve, and who it wants to be to each human it touches through its work.” Deloitte also shares that these companies witness higher market share gains and grow three times faster on average than their competitors while achieving higher workforce and customer satisfaction.

These are the types of ideas that make the C-Suite care, and let’s be honest, if HR is the heart, the C-Suite is the brain. There’s no denying their role – or say – in the matter.

Getting There

So, with that in mind, we’re not going to say we have the business case for a heart-led approach to HR all figured out. What we do know is that present circumstances aren’t the only reason HR is in this place. Organizations have been neglecting these teams for years. It wasn’t until HR was needed the most that anyone realized how bad things had gotten.

The good news is, we’re waking up.

Still, we can’t move from old-school to next generation if we don’t acknowledge the value in emotional intelligence and the softer side of what HR represents. If we’re to believe that humans are an asset, we must treat them as such, including HR and its varied professionals.

Yes, hearts can harden, and encouraging HR to become heart-led will mean working through the pains brought on by years of derision and disdain. There will be valves to unblock before HR will live at the center of organizations, where it can focus on connecting with others, creating and caring for the community (and itself), and pumping in fresh energy and ideas.

That will take acknowledging lived experiences, shoring up weaknesses, providing help when it’s needed, and demonstrating grace whenever and wherever possible.

And, of course, it will take a whole lot of heart.

Additional resources:

LISTEN:

Spark Conversations: Power of Purpose – Kellee Marlow & Eric Kim

READ:

Adam Grant – Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

WATCH:

The post Radical Flexibility: The Great Reawakening appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

What Happens When HR Gets Rehired?

By now, we all know about 2020 and its impact on HR and TA. For many, it meant turmoil and disruption, subject to job loss and the search for something new. For others, it meant a call to action, to perform without a roadmap or resources in place.

There is burnout on both sides and a lingering sense of uncertainty. A lot has happened in a relatively short period of time, and many of us are still working to reconcile and process. Even so, we know from past crises that things will turn around eventually, and when they do, it pays to be prepared.

But how do you prepare when there’s still so much unknown? You turn inward before looking out. Many things remain outside of your control, especially now, but there’s always more you can do inside.  

There are different ways to approach HR’s role within an organization. For years, we’ve heard the call to “secure a seat at the table” and “think more like marketing,” and while this advice is no doubt well-intentioned, it’s also misplaced.

There’s exhaustion to work through, fatigue – and let’s face it, a bit of an image issue to reconcile. 2020 only illuminated that, and without self-reflection, these symptoms will only get worse. It’s time for solutions, for radical praxis.

Here’s why:

Shifting Mindsets

If you work in HR or a related role, take a minute and ask yourself what you’ve learned over the last 12 months. Do you want to keep doing this work? Because if there were ever a moment to get out, it would be now. Are you still in it? OK, keep reading.

If you’re in it and committed to continuing, you need to be in it harder than before. HR is harder than before. Recruiting is harder than before. And things might get worse before they get better. We don’t know. Accepting that we’re dealing in unknowns, we need to start identifying what’s changed.

For one, there’s the continued push towards “strategic” HR, a word we’re all so sick of hearing. Still, to move ahead, we need to understand what this means in today’s context. For years, HR existed as solely transactional. The departments where someone would show up and say, “Can you answer my question about X benefit?” or “I need your help to hire Y.”

That was it, like ringing up an order at the grocery store. Scan the items, hit total, collect the money, and hand over the receipt. Have a nice day – see you maybe never. A lot of old school practices are based on this type of methodology.

Over the last decade, folks have been working to break down this wall and introduce “strategy.” In doing so, we overlooked that HR had been taught to be guarded, to protect their information and knowledge. So much so that HR folks were encouraged not to talk to their peers because why would you share trade secrets?

Not to take a seat at the table or in that meeting, to sit quietly and do the work. Not to ask for what you want and need from leadership. Not to feel worthy of budgets, opinions, or perspectives.

Sure, you could argue it’s because no one encouraged you to speak up, but think about what got internalized along the way. Some unlearning needs to take place. Now, we have this call to be strategic. The call itself isn’t new. It’s just growing louder.

Strategic exists on a continuum: one that favors relationship building, asking for help, learning from one another, and more. The problem is, how to be strategic when you still have the transactional work and less headcount to rely on? HR is being pulled in different directions.

Hence the need for a reckoning.

What’s Next

By definition, praxis refers to the necessary relation between theory and practice – making the implicit explicit. Radical, in most instances, means advocating for complete change or reform. Taken together, the idea of radical praxis is about embracing a new way of thinking and being.

If we’re to make the implicit explicit, HR needs to rethink its role as soon as possible.

HR can continue on this current path, where all of these problems can continue to exist and rehire and pretend none of this ever happened, or it can figure out its problems and pivot in a new direction.

In some organizations, HR might remain strictly transactional if that suits the workforce and culture it supports. In others, it might need to become more strategic to help redefine the employee experience.

HR is full of employees. Employees who need help, coaches, and training. Employees who also face burnout if not considering self-compassion and boundary setting. Coming off the back of 2020, HR probably needs this “now more than ever” to reconcile the “us versus them” mentality that’s led to this point.

It isn’t HR against employees or HR against the organization. HR bridges the gap between employer and employee and needs to demonstrate that it serves both parties (and itself) equally.

That takes emotional intelligence and self-worth, two things that aren’t always easy to quantify or develop.

You don’t have to be kind. You can remove the heart and humanity from the equation. You can choose productivity and efficiency.

HR has done that for years, and ultimately, you have agency over the decision.

It’s the power of choice that makes 2021 your moment to decide.

Additional resources:

LISTEN:

Ten Percent Happier – The Scientific Case for Self-Compassion

READ:

Laurie Ruettimann – Betting On You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career

WATCH:

The post Radical Praxis: What Happens When HR Gets Rehired? appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

COVID-19 disrupted the workforce, unlike anything we have experienced previously. Social justice and DEI, unemployment, public health issues, and remote work became just a few of the many headlines of 2020 that have shaped the way we work and interact today.

We are at an inflection point that will help determine what the next decade of work will look like, and a few significant trends are emerging for 2021. The aftermath of COVID-19 will usher in a hybrid workforce and a hybrid method of recruiting for talent acquisition teams that will reshape the way job seekers engage with career opportunities and ignite competition for top talent.

In addition, hybrid recruiting will break down barriers to diversity and equity in recruiting, extending opportunities to more diverse candidates and driving a job seeker’s market.

2021 Will Usher in a Job Seeker’s Market

As more and more companies make the transition to permanent remote or hybrid models, competition for talent will become increasingly difficult. Companies that are moving to remote workforces offer employees a chance to relocate (now an in-demand benefit), and these companies can tap into talent that is located anywhere in the world, as well as in their backyard.

For well-established brands, this likely means access to more talent. For everyone else, it means more competition for their traditional talent pools. Talent acquisition teams will need to find new ways to compete, such as offering competitive benefits, extending their talent search beyond their own geographic walls, and adopting a virtual recruiting strategy.

While hiring and retaining top talent will likely become a key challenge for companies as they rebound from the initial impacts of the recession, it will become a welcomed shift in the tide for job seekers who were laid off in 2020.

A job seeker’s market not only benefits individual households and communities but also helps stimulate the economy and drive competition between companies.

Companies looking to hire and retain top talent will need to find ways to ensure candidate experience remains a top priority. Part of the solution is to ensure recruiters focus on the basics:

Timely follow-ups after phone screens, virtual career fairs, and virtual interviews, near-constant availability to answer questions, and properly setting expectations with candidates throughout the process.

The other part is an investment in technology that creates an immersive candidate experience. Impersonalized methods of communication such as emails and chatbots likely won’t be enough to engage candidates and will leave too many holes in the recruiting process, increasing the chances that top candidates slip through the cracks.

Virtual Recruiting Will Spike

March 2021 marks one-year of COVID-19’s initial impact on the US, and for many, the start of the remote workforce. People who have become familiar with the reimagined workforce and are unhappy with their current roles will put themselves back in the job hunt.

As a result, job seekers will participate in more virtual interviews than ever before – not only will companies need the tools in place to facilitate efficient and productive interviews remotely, they’ll also need to put their best virtual foot forward.

More robust virtual recruitment tools that contain a suite of features like pre-screening capabilities, video interviewing, and seamless follow up features will likely be a more effective option than video calls and emails alone, and will offer an enhanced virtual interviewing experience.

Since most interviews will likely take place virtually in 2021, I am confident a spike in virtual recruiting will not be a flash in the pan, but rather an indication of what the future of work and recruiting will look like.

DEI Initiatives Will Empower Recruiting

DEI hiring initiatives are at the forefront of talent acquisition teams’ minds as companies are held accountable for the lack of diverse talent and inclusive participation across their organizations. In 2021 and beyond, companies will need to make an even greater investment in DEI to attract and retain talent that will upskill and transform their workforce.

Virtual recruitment technologies, such as virtual career fairs and interviews are allowing HR and talent acquisition teams to reach, engage with and hire more job seekers from more diverse talent pools located across the country and world.

No longer limited by geographic location, virtual recruiting breaks down barriers to diverse hiring, allowing recruiters to engage with candidates no matter where they are located. Virtual recruitment offers employers a seamless way to deviate from their traditional recruiting playbooks, such as recruiting from the same schools, job boards, and networking events.

Similarly, this offers more opportunities to job seekers in underrepresented and underserved communities and brings fresh, diverse perspectives to organizations.

The job of the recruiter now comes with a new set of challenges and barriers in our remote and hybrid-remote work environment. Recruiters will be more dependent than ever on technology and forging meaningful relationships virtually with job seekers.

Promoting competitive perks and flexibility, prioritizing DEI initiatives, and making investments in virtual recruitment technology will be the core pillars of success for talent acquisition teams in the coming year.

Not only will recruiters have to sell candidates on great work culture, but they will also need to deliver on the promise of diversity in recruiting, a seamless hybrid or fully remote work experience, and an engaging candidate experience.

The future of work is distributed, and recruitment must reflect this shift in workplace culture moving forward.

The post HR Predictions: The Top 3 Recruiting Trends for 2021 appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

This two-part series looks at the impact of the pandemic on women’s careers and workplace equity. Part one spotlights recent findings and recommendations. Part two offers actionable insights and practical advice for leaders. 

The first part of this series leveraged research from the Rutgers Center for Women in Business (CWIB) to envision the impact of COVID-19 on women. While hardly a positive experience for anyone trying to navigate pandemic conditions, CWIB found a potential silver lining for women’s careers, particularly those who are mid-career: the benefit of increased support from partners and employers. 

With regard to current gender gaps, Adam Feigenbaum, a member of the CWIB advisory board, offered, “CWIB believes that while most CEOs – which data shows are predominantly white and male – agree there is a problem; they just don’t think it’s their problem.

To do so would require a CEO to outwardly acknowledge inequities in their business, opening oneself to at the very least reputational risk, and perhaps fear of financial or even legal risk at a corporate level. As a result, business leaders lean on HR to put in policies and processes to protect their business above all else. These are not conditions for progress – they reinforce the status quo as the standard for success is just keeping out of trouble.”

The Business Imperative

Knowing that women prosper when they have the right resources, consider what it takes to deliver more equitable experiences – and why this hasn’t been the case all along. It’s well-documented that women represent a large, highly skilled, and extraordinarily capable talent pool often underutilized.

The recent exodus of women leaving the workforce, at a rate four times more than men, amplifies that point. However, historically, diversity and inclusion initiatives have been HR’s responsibility, but what’s happening now, Feigenbaum says, is less of an HR issue and more of a CEO opportunity. 

He continued, “More progressive companies will think about this surplus of talent that’s available, specifically from women, that is beginning to go unutilized because they’re leaving the workforce. And it is incumbent upon CEOs, not just HR representatives, but CEOs to identify this as a potential competitive advantage, an inefficiency in the market that they could then leverage and focus on.

As more CEOs understand this, they will proactively transform their culture and policies, with the help of HR, to attract and engage women as a priority will earn themselves the talent advantage organizations needs to thrive.” 

The Redefinition of Resources

The path forward involves several factors, starting with a solid business case, buy-in from senior leaders, and alignment back to HR. If policies and processes designed to protect the organization are what led to this juncture, then develop policies and processes that safeguard workers, too.  

Lisa Kaplowitz, the center’s executive director, said, “We see two sides of this issue. One is to remove barriers, structural barriers, systemic barriers, and the other is to empower women with the confidence and skills necessary to succeed as business leaders.” 

Specific to HR, the barriers Kaplowitz referred to exist throughout the talent lifecycle, from job descriptions that use words that prevent women from applying to certain jobs to inflexible practices for families and caregivers that cause women to stop working. 

Recognizing such challenges, Kaplowitz explained that CWIB is piloting new programs, including one that offers women mid-career mentoring. So far, she revealed, the response to sessions such as “Positioning Yourself for Promotions and Performance Reviews Virtually” has been incredibly positive, with measurable results.

During that particular event, participants were polled about their intent to ask for a raise or a promotion in the next six months. At the outset, 38 percent were thinking about it. By the end, 67 percent said they would. While just one example, Kaplowitz makes the point that, “When you see something that powerful in 55 minutes, it speaks to the impact that we’re making quickly.” 

The Future of Work (is Female)

Kristina Durante, the center’s director of research, commented, “One thing I stress when I talk about our research is that we need to be responsible for the conversation. Now that we’ve had this experience, now that we see what’s going on, let’s turn it into a positive and keep talking about it. Especially if that helps get the CEO or leadership team members to buy-in.” 

The pandemic’s strain is real for everyone. But as the labor data indicates, this is especially true for women. Without action, the workforce will lose a substantial talent pool, set to influence productivity and profitability for the foreseeable future. That goes beyond anything that exists today. It requires a rethinking of what work looks like and how it operates. 

Whether a small business or enterprise organization, HR and senior leaders need to advocate for their women workers by providing support for work-life overlap, offering increased flex time or leave options, promoting engagement and wellbeing, and ultimately, encouraging advancement.

Feigenbaum reiterated that the evidence is already out there, “If we’re thinking about it, this is in the best of interest of the workers as well as the business. It’s in everyone’s best interest to create and drive cultures that promote workforce diversity. That’s how organizations win time and time again.” 

The post The Pandemic’s Equity Impact, Part 2: The CEO Opportunity appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

As offices around the country begin re-opening, it seems the work-from-home era may finally be coming to a close for many. If you are one of the employees who are returning to work after being away for months, you will likely see some changes implemented at your office. Hand sanitizer stations or a perspex sneeze guard by the reception are just a few of the many additions in office spaces.

As lockdown restrictions are lifted, many are unsure about what the future holds. However, office owners still have an obligation to ensure their employees are kept safe from the virus. They can achieve this through a combination of safety practices and the addition of special protective equipment from office refurbishment contractors.

Safety challenges

Employers should acknowledge that COVID still poses a threat to their employees and operations. The risk is higher at workplaces that require physical interactions between co-workers and/or customers. However, as research shows, the virus can survive on different surfaces. Which may create many challenges for office owners. In order to keep workers safe from direct and indirect transmission of the coronavirus, here are some suggestions that might help:

Social distancing for the office

The practice of social distancing has played a key role in reducing the spread of COVID. For this reason, employers should encourage their workers to continue maintaining social distancing measures as they slowly integrate back into the office. In some offices, it may be that desks are too close to maintain the distance properly.

Therefore, it might be worth investing some time in rearranging to keep employees safe and keep them at least 1 meter away. 

In addition to this, workstations, where employees sit face to face with each other, will also need to be rearranged. Instead of having desks facing each other, rotate them so that each employee is not directly facing another individual when they are working. This will reduce the likelihood of COVID being directly transmitted between co-workers.

Rotation-based schedules 

In order to make social distancing easier for everyone, employers may ask fewer employees to come into the office on a given day. This may require some staff members to work from home or remotely and come in on a dedicated schedule to ensure social distancing measures can be followed. This should be effective at reducing contact between co-workers, as the number of staff visiting the premises on any given day will be limited.  

Remote collaboration tools

Many employers and employees became acquainted with remote collaboration tools back when the pandemic lockdown first went into effect. Collaboration software applications have enabled workers to carry out their duties without coming into direct contact with their co-workers.

As offices reopen, such tools will continue being used in various ways. A group of employees working on the same project may decide to split into smaller groups and collaborate with each other using online spreadsheets and document creation software such as Google Docs.

Similarly, co-workers can use screen-sharing features on apps such as Zoom to discuss and troubleshoot problems with IT and other departments without meeting them in-person. The fact that so many people are now familiar with these software applications should make the remote-collaboration process far easier.

Safety equipment

Face masks and gloves have proven to be invaluable when it comes to slowing down the virus’ spread. 

In addition to providing their employees with these items as per government requirements, it is recommended that employers also set up hand sanitizer stations at different points of the office. These can be especially important at entry/exit points as they will allow people to enter the premises to disinfect their hands.

Office owners can also set up social distancing stickers that remind employees to maintain a distance of at least one meter from one another. Special social distancing stickers can be placed on the ground to illustrate the minimum distance workers need to maintain to stay safe.

Many workplaces have begun setting up protective screens between worker desks. A sneeze guard is a clear glass panel that can act as a barrier against COVID. These can be used to create artificial partitions between desks and seats.

This arrangement can be especially useful for offices with limited space, where desks can’t be spread out and workers have to sit within close proximity to each other.

These sneeze guards can also be set up at reception desks to protect receptionists and security personnel who come into contact with people from outside regularly. These barriers are effective at shielding people from germs and bacteria transmitted via sneezes and coughs.

If you are interested in setting up sneeze guards at your workplace, you should get in touch with office refurbishment contractors in your area.

Regular cleanings

As mentioned earlier, the COVID virus can survive on different surfaces for a limited amount of time. Experts are not sure how many people have contracted the virus by touching infected items and objects so far, but they do recommend disinfecting frequently used surfaces regularly.

Once offices reopen, employers will need to perform disinfections on a regular basis. This can include disinfecting floors, desks, door handles, lunchroom tables and other surfaces employees come into contact with regularly.

Working at offices after COVID

As you can see, employers and employees will need to get used to some changes in the wake of COVID. Business owners can make this transition easier by purchasing protective equipment from reputable office refurbishment contractors.

The post Post-COVID – The Office and Workplace of the Future appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

In my 13-year history as an HR professional, this by far has been the most difficult time in my career. COVID-19 has led many companies to face unprecedented staffing challenges that can be daunting even for a seasoned professional. As a Regional Human Resources Director for a leading addiction treatment provider, American Addiction Centers, we had to get creative and think outside the box to solve these and other staffing challenges because our patients were counting on us.

The stress, isolation, and anxiety were causing more people to relapse or turn to substance use to cope. Shutting down or reducing hours wasn’t an option for our inpatient facilities. Like many companies, people need us now more than ever. 

We were faced with navigating multiple issues all at one time. Fear over the virus led more people to call out with little or no notice. Finding and hiring temporary staff to fill the gap became increasingly laborious. Training short-term staff to meet the demand was yet another hurdle.

Not to mention, in-person recruiting and job interviews were replaced with virtual options, a new process on both sides. Plus, every discipline was impacted. No department was immune, from the therapist to the housekeeping staff. 

Our first line of defense was to focus our efforts on retaining the top-notch talent we already had working for us. When you retain a person that’s experienced, they’re an expert at handling challenges, which is critical during times like this.

Here are few strategies I recommend for retaining and recruiting talent during the pandemic:

1. Focus on building trust with your staff.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the virus, employees need to trust that their company is being transparent about the safety of the work environment. They need to know it’s safe for them to come to work and that they will be notified if there is a concern.

Sharing your safety protocols with potential recruits can also be beneficial. One of the first questions I often receive from prospective employees is “what are you doing to keep employees safe?” Leading by example also builds trust. If the leadership team is expecting employees to come into the office, it sends a powerful message if the managers are there as well.

This act will reassure your employees that you are in this together. 

2. Promote your Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

This is an ideal time to remind employees about your EAP program. People are more likely to call out if they’re stressed, burnt out, or feeling depressed. Letting them know they have access to a therapist can help them address problems head-on before it takes a toll on their mental health.

We’ve found more people request mental health support during these unprecedented times.

3. Offer flexible schedules and remote work options.

Many people are dealing with a lack of childcare or remote learning for their children and may require flexibility in their work schedules.

If you can find a way to accommodate their schedule or offer remote options, it will help them feel like their unique situations are being considered and that you understand their needs outside of the workplace. 

4. Consider bonus pay for additional hours worked.

You can pay your employees bonuses to work additional hours and close temporary gaps from staffing shortages.  This will be more efficient than bringing new personnel through a staffing agency as your employees are already familiar with company processes.

In addition, many employees may be bearing the burden of going from a dual to single household income so the option to pick up shifts may be attractive. 

5. Take a proactive approach to recruiting.

Pay attention to which companies in your industry may be laying off or furloughing staff and reach out to them. Let them know you’d be interested in offering temporary employment to their staff.

This could turn out to be a great option for finding experienced, short-term employees.

6. Simplify your application process.

Instead of having prospects fill out an entire application to be considered for a position, start with a resume to make the process as easy as possible for the applicant. It will increase your applicant pool and from there you can filter through which candidates have the credentials to move forward in the process.

Once they reach that next step, you can ask them to fill out the application because they will feel vested in the process as a serious candidate. 

In Closing

Despite all of the staffing challenges many companies have faced this year, I do see light at the end of the tunnel. My days are already starting to get easier as we have refined processes in place to ensure employee safety while maintaining a high level of productivity and customer service.

While things may never go back to the way they used to be, we must learn to embrace this new “normal” and find creative strategies to continue retaining our staff and recruit the best talent on the market. We must remind ourselves there is a solution to every problem. If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it’s that we have the ability to be resilient in the face of adversity.

The post Six Techniques to Address Staffing Challenges in the Midst of COVID-19 appeared first on RecruitingDaily.