It won't have escaped your attention that the most significant alteration to the way we live, work, and recruit has been the rise of remote and virtual interactions.
Zoom interviews became a 'thing', with some companies hiring and onboarding entirely remotely – a concept that would have been hard to believe just over a year ago, before the words Covid-19 and Lockdown werent part of our every day vocabulary.
In a short space of time, businesses, candidates, and recruitment companies have gone from perhaps being sceptical of remote communications to carrying out much of our day entirely on Zoom, MS Teams, Skype and using virtual messaging tools.
Virtual and remote communications and recruitment came of age in 2020, and this trend is set to continue this year and beyond.
But with such a huge part of recruitment hinging on the 'connection' between the hiring manager and the candidate – how can you make remote recruitment work for your business?
You might be dubious that a remote recruitment process can return the same quality results as a face-to-face interview. The thing with video and virtual recruitment is that it is still such a new concept.
Businesses need time to adjust, see the benefits, and then work out what works for them when incorporating remote recruitment into a hiring strategy.
I am not suggesting that everyone reading this switch to 100% remote recruitment – that would not work. It is about striking the right balance and utilising these tools in a way that works for you.
One benefit of using video interviews in your hiring process is the increased number of candidates you can interview thanks to the time-saving element of jumping on a video interview.
Video has made the recruitment process more of a two-way meeting. Before, the (often nervous) candidate would arrive at their employer-to-be's office, and the scales seemed tipped in one direction.
Remote recruitment means there is a more even playing field thanks to Zoom and Skype. There is a good chance that in a video interview, the candidate and the hiring manager will catch a glimpse into each other's homes – this can be beneficial for both parties. It is a fact that candidates perform better when they are relaxed, which the video interview situation provides. A 2020 study by JDP, a company which aims to protect employee and organisational welfare found that 93% of candidates admit to experiencing interview anxiety – but being in the surrounding of our own home automatically makes candidates more relaxed.
In a recent article entitled, What to Do If Your Team Doesn't Want to Go Back to the Office, HBR looks at why many employees are still tentative about returning to the office full-time.
Imagine what it must feel like to be a candidate with the possibility of starting a new job remotely?
The article stresses that finding a balance that works best for everyone will be key to your post-pandemic team's success, including your new employees.
Do you offer new employees a welcome pack if they are going to be working from home? Are you and your team maintaining a professional manner when on video calls?
Remote recruitment – it is here to stay in various forms, so it is an idea to continually improve your virtual interview and onboarding skills.
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