The COVID pandemic has changed the world – we keep hearing stories of great people being laid off or downsized as companies try to keep up with the seismic shifts in the business landscape. While this may be short-sighted for a lot of companies – it presents a huge opportunity for others – there are great people out there looking for work and they will not be out there long. This creates a huge opportunity for companies that want to step up and bring new team members into their organization.
When your community or region starts to open back up, everyone will be re-hiring. There are a few factors that need to be considered now so that you are not in the middle of the pack. Or worse – the last to post your jobs.
Full-Time or Part-Time or Contract?
In the past you may have only used full-time employees for virtually all your role, with the odd contract worker to cover off a maternity or extended sick leave. This may be the time to reconsider that strategy. If you need to keep your flexibility high when it comes to salary costs, you could beat the rest of the market to some great candidates who would relish the opportunity to join your organization in a more flexible role as they sort through their own home-work challenges.
Local Hiring Incentives
Covid has put many people out of work, and your local, regional or national government agencies want to help get them back into the workforce. It’s worth checking into what funding you might find to expand your staff earlier than expected with much of that cost qualifying for reimbursement.
A virtual team means broadening your hiring horizons – or does it?
Where we work has significantly changed since the start of the pandemic. The demands on equipment, connectivity, network security, video conferences, and more have all been significantly impacted by the need to work from home. The big question for the near future is how much will we continue to work from home? This is a question that has significant impact on hiring practices for 2021 and beyond. While you may be tempted to hire on a national or even global basis, you should recognize the impact that can have on your organization.
Some of these considerations include:
Time zones – when work hours don’t align, it can present communication and approval time frame challenges. From IT support to scheduling meetings, you need to be well prepared to accommodate multiple time zones. You may want to set your search to within only an hour or two difference rather than expanding the search coast to coast.
Non-virtual meetings – when we are able, bringing the whole team together may still be needed on a regular basis or for launches or training. What may seem to be a great hire could result in higher travel costs down the road.
Onboarding – it may be difficult for a new hire to navigate who does what in your organization when communication is limited to formal meetings. Onboarding has become a more critical step in the hiring process and one that can determine whether a person stays or leaves. Make sure your onboarding process includes the opportunity for new hires to form alliances with people throughout your organization so they can build informal as well as formal relationships.
Recruiting Now Could Reap Big Rewards Later
Being the first to post for a role in your market gives you more flexibility that can save you a lot of money down the road. Hiring ahead of the curve gives the new person more time to become familiar with the products and inner workings of your organization.
Hiring early gives you more opportunity for hiring well. Afterall, you are more likely to find a person that fits your needs if you are on the market when more people are looking. Having a better hiring tool to help you find those candidates is also key to your success. The experts at FitFirst can ensure that you get the right hiring tools to find the best new team members, streamline your hiring process, and reduce your turnover.
Don’t let your hiring pool run out of the best fish.
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