There is no doubt that the coronavirus has had a significant impact on the jobs market, the results of which are still unfolding and will undoubtedly have long-term effects on the industry as a whole. The short-term impact on the recruitment sector has been equally significant and in many ways positive.
We have seen a huge deviation in the way recruitment processes are managed in terms of interviewing, and onboarding, alongside a general shift in the expectations of both clients and candidates. This has resulted in many positive changes where we have seen more streamlined processes which will ultimately simplify the hiring process and drive down costs.
Here we look at some of the key changes which have changed the recruitment industry for the better.
Quicker interview process
We used to find that the interview process for senior level roles would typically take two to three months. This came as we carefully tried to coordinate multiple people’s diaries for face-to-face meetings to take place between clients and candidates.
As a result of the ongoing health crisis, we are now observing a distinct increase in the number of C-suite and other managerial roles being concluded in as little as one to two weeks.
More cost-effective
Candidates used to have to attend multiple interviews, sometimes at two different offices. One such meeting could, for example, be based in Manchester and the final appointment in London. The same would go for clients, who might travel to meet a candidate at an alternative location.
This took people away from their current roles and responsibilities, while they incurred significant travel and other expenses. It also meant they would be forced to take large chunks of time out of their diaries and use up the annual leave which they would ordinarily spend with family and friends.
As the ramifications of Covid-19 on the recruiting sphere have clarified, remote interviews via online tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams have rapidly risen in popularity and become mainstream. Conducting interviews this way costs less than arranging and executing the logistics of a face-to-face interview and helps people to manage their time more productively.
Source better candidates
With a more streamlined and flexible hiring process in place, organisations are now able to involve more candidates who appeal to them in the overall process. They can then quickly ascertain whether their skill-sets suit the role and conduct several interview stages in a short space of time.
This again helps to drive down costs for all parties involved, while helping organisations to seek out the individuals best suited to the position.
Streamlined onboarding and inductions
Typically, a new hire would meet face-to-face with multiple members of the business before their start date, but this is no longer possible in many cases.
To welcome a new starter successfully and make them feel part of the team, it’s now possible to use video platforms to broker introductions and make the transition more seamless. They can also be easily arranged and implemented, all without causing any delays.
Social integration can be carried out digitally too, using less formal platforms such as WhatsApp. This gives new starters the opportunity to get to know their colleagues on a more casual footing.
Bigger talent pool
Increased flexibility around homeworking means that clients can search on a UK-wide basis for their ideal candidate instead of simply being restricted to local talent pools. An appointment to a head office in London may now be given to an individual who lives several hundred miles away. This is something that would perhaps only have been deemed possible under exceptional circumstances at one time and is now becoming increasingly standard practice.
One way to ensure a high calibre of work in these instances would be to arrange a certain quota of video catch up calls each week and an agreement that long distance workers come into the office for a couple of days each month, current restrictions permitting.
We predict that these time and cost savings far outweigh what often used to be a cumbersome and laborious hiring process for all involved. This is why it will prove impossible for businesses to fully revert to the old ways of working and precisely why we believe that a great deal of these new measures are undoubtedly here to stay, post pandemic and beyond.
To discuss the impact of the pandemic on your organisation and your subsequent recruiting requirements, please contact our team
