Talent Acquisition: Allocate Time to Evaluate Your Process
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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One of the things that Mr. Bartender and I like to do this time of year is evaluate some of the things we’re doing and possibly make some changes. For example, a couple of months ago, I was very frustrated with our cable company. We had talked a few times about “cutting the cord” but never really felt good about the options. Then I asked some Facebook friends, and they made suggestions of alternatives to try. We took a couple of months to test out our options and get comfortable with the idea of turning in that cable box. The end result? We’ve found an option that works for us (and it’s a lot cheaper too!)
The reason I’m bringing this up is because it makes sense to do the same thing in business. The first quarter is often a great time to evaluate current processes and try out new options. Talent acquisition is a good example. Over the past few months, organizations have made some adjustments to their hiring processes, like video interviews, virtual onboarding, and remote work. It’s possible that when those decisions were made, the organization viewed the change as temporary. While there’s a lot of good news about vaccines, I’d like to think that we all realize the road to the “next normal” is going to take time. Maybe it’s time to make a longer-term commitment to those “temporary” changes.
Take a Proactive Look at Talent Acquisition Processes
It only makes sense for HR departments to look at their talent acquisition processes from a more proactive standpoint. Let’s take the three activities that I mentioned above.
VIDEO INTERVIEWS: When we were first faced with the pandemic, many organizations simply moved their screening and interviews to a video platform like Zoom or Skype. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Now, organizations should evaluate whether video will become a regular part of the process. And if so, what part?
I’ve heard from many organizations that video screening interviews are effective both in terms of resources and quality of candidates. And they’re considering making video screening a regular part of their hiring process. However, in-depth video interviews will only continue until it’s safe to have in-person interviews. HR departments making commitments to video should consider developing a one-sheet for candidates explaining details of how the video interview will work.
VIRTUAL ONBOARDING: Like video interviews, organizations made some quick decisions regarding onboarding. It’s possible that they cut out some portions of the program figuring they could simply do them later. Well, now several months have gone by and new employees maybe possibly probably haven’t received all the information they need.
Organizations have to provide employees with information they’ve missed and put plans in place to offer new hires a complete experience, even from afar. Examples might include recording some welcome videos and mini-training sessions for employees to watch. If the organization doesn’t have a buddy program, create a virtual buddy system. Maybe the organization can work with a local vendor to have a welcome box of goodies sent to the employee’s home, similar to the new hire breakfast or lunch.
REMOTE WORK: There’s a regular conversation happening right now about whether employees should be working remotely and how remote work impacts organizational culture. I think it’s a valid conversation. That being said, organizations still have to deal with employees and remote work. My prediction is HR departments will be managing a hybrid workforce for most if not all of 2021. Maybe even some of 2022…
The reason this aligns with talent acquisition is because organizations should be looking at job descriptions to make sure they accurately reflect both in-desk and remote work. Job openings should specify if a position is onsite or remote. Organizations might want to identify the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies that can be aligned with both in-desk and remote work – like curiosity, initiative, and trainability – and incorporate interview questions and assessments into their process.
Talent Acquisition Benefits the Bottom-line
These three talent acquisition activities – video interviews, virtual onboarding, and remote work – can make a big difference in the candidate experience which in turn impacts the employee experience and productivity. Taking the time to evaluate each aspect doesn’t have to be a big lengthy chore. Just ask yourself the following questions:
What’s taking place now?
Realistically, what do you expect for the next 6-12 months? 12-18 months?
How would you like the process to look post-pandemic?
Then connect the dots from where you are to where you want to be. Similar to a traditional gap analysis. HR is able to offer a long-term proactive talent acquisition strategy that can be adjusted should the vaccine implementation progress faster (or slower) than expected. This gives the organization the ability to quickly reposition themselves in the market after a tough year.
Organizations need to build a good foundation for their recruiting efforts because it’s their employees who make a difference in business. This means having a proactive approach when it comes to finding the best talent, which is great to do when it’s slower or at the beginning of a calendar or budget year.
Of course, once you evaluate your recruiting process then you want to be able to put it to work. I hope you’ll join me and the Criteria team on Tuesday, January 26, 2020 at 10a Pacific / 1p Eastern for a webinar on “How to Find More Qualified Candidates in 2021”. If you already have plans, go ahead and sign up anyway to get the recording after. Look forward to seeing you then!
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