How COVID Changed Hiring

The COVID pandemic changed almost everything, everywhere. From traveling and dining out to how you do business and how often you’re in the office.

Would it be surprising to know that the pandemic has also changed hiring practices? Not really.

Hiring has also, in the most, gone completely online. However, it’s been made viable with collaboration tools like video chat for interviews and AI for applicant search and selection.

Plus, it is not only companies and recruiters who have gone through a paradigm shift since COVID-19, but workers too who have realised they have a lot more competition when applying for jobs online.

According to Forbes, a typical online job ad gets around 250 resumes, while attractive organizations like Google, Apple, and Facebook might receive more than 1,000 applications for every opening.

This article looks at how recruiting has changed, starting with new techs like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Artificial Intelligence

Recruitment shifting almost entirely online has seen new tech like AI come to the forefront, particularly with the screening and hiring process.

While there is still a need for the human touch as a recruiter, AI is taking over many mundane and repetitive tasks. For example, AI is part of the applicant tracking system (ATS) software, giving recruiters back hours to spend on higher-value tasks like account management and sales.

It’s well known that the initial stages of the hiring process are the most trying and time-consuming for recruiters. Their selection process begins once the job specifications for a role are confirmed.

Their first action is to search existing job seeker databases, and other sources like job sites are for job seekers that are a good match to the role’s requirements.

With AI, the initial selection process is sped up without sacrificing quality, i.e. machines execute tasks, and match results, as well as humans, can, but much faster.

AI in the ATS essentially automates the sourcing effort for recruiters pulling in talent, i.e. matched job hunters, from multiple sources before narrowing down the list. So instead of spending hours of search time, recruiters now enjoy getting the backbone of their job done in just a few clicks.

Virtual Interviews

Companies have been forced to embrace virtual interviews, which means after the best potential candidates have been identified, getting to know the applicants face-to-face won’t happen until the process moves further down the road.

There’s a good chance that this won’t change after the pandemic is over either, as many companies realize that virtual interviews are actually the better option for more efficient hiring that saves time and money.

Location No Longer A Barrier

The pool of talent is no longer limited to a specific location for many companies. In addition, businesses have been forced to move all or at least part of their operations online, proving location doesn’t have to be a limiting factor in recruitment.

While the search for that ideal candidate was often limited by a relocation budget or geography, many organizations now have the chance to tap into a much larger talent pool. That’s also a big plus for candidates looking to widen their horizons and perhaps live and work in a place that they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

Attracting Top Candidates

Reputation and Culture are Still Key For Companies That Want to Attract Top Talent

Candidates are more informed than ever before when it comes to working conditions and pay. How companies responded during the pandemic will make a big difference when it comes to attracting top talent.

Even when many assume a shrinking pool of available jobs, companies have been unable to fill millions of openings because they can’t find the right talent. That means they have to put their best foot forward, selling candidates on what they have to offer in addition to building trust and a solid reputation.

There has been a change of mindset among many professionals who have been rethinking jobs and their lifestyles.

The top talent will want premium pay, a positive working culture, and a company that fits their career and life goals.

Final Thoughts

Moving recruitment online is a natural fit with everything else in the business that is now digital, from accounting to sales.

AI is proving useful in streamlining recruitment processes and speeding up the time taken to locate suitable candidates.  Plus, the pool of applicants is much larger now there are no barriers to entry, i.e. remote working from any location can work.