How recruitment has changed for good
1 October 2020 at 4:49 pm
We take a look at the big changes that are here to stay in recruitment
COVID has changed the way many industries operate forever, and recruitment is no different.
Many agencies have had to deal with hiring freezes, mass redundancies, pivoting to online interviewing processes, and finding new ways to onboard recruits.
But as we’ve all realised in the past year, sometimes forced changes aren’t so bad. So we asked recruiters about the ways their jobs have changed, and whether or not these changes will stand the test of time in a post-COVID world.
The rise of the video cover letter
With more candidates applying for less jobs at the moment, Sharon Davies, the managing director of Talent Propeller, says video cover letters have become a very popular way for candidates to show off their energy and presentation skills.
She says it’s one trend she hopes is here to stay.
“With much of the world owning a smartphone these days it’s a simple process of record and send,” she says.
“This has given us a chance to see a candidate’s energy and presentation skills, which adds a new dimension.”
Collecting a talent bank
The temporary shutdown of some industries during the pandemic has enabled some recruiters to build a “talent bank”. Davies says, while sadly there won’t be a job for every candidate, this is a good way to place the right person in the right job when it comes along.
“Rather than advertise a role and see who applies, we can go straight to our talent bank and discuss the role with people we have already screened,” she says.
Virtual hiring to become the norm
Now that employers have seen that virtual onboarding and hiring is possible, Lois Freeke from NGO Recruitment believes this is something that will become the norm.
“Recruiters and clients will become more outcomes, rather than output, focused and recruiters will likely continue to use remote technologies like Zoom to cut down on interview times,” Freeke says.
“Virtual hiring and on-boarding has also become the norm as clients can’t always meet new hires in person before making a hiring decision.”
A global workforce
Remote working solutions have also shown us that we don’t actually need to be in the same room to do our jobs.
Freeke says this will mean a larger, more global talent pool for organisations.
“I think we will also see a more global workforce and increased diversity in our talent pools due to the new opportunities that the remote working environment offers increased sectors of the working population,” she says.
