How the Pandemic Has Changed the Hiring Process

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways, not the least of which is how businesses hire new employees. The country is starting to open up again, but we'll probably never completely go back to the way things were. We're in a new world now, which means hiring practices are going to change. Here's what you need to know if you want to improve your hiring process in a post-COVID world.

Virtual Interviews are Becoming Standard

Pre-interview telephone screenings have been commonplace for some time, but actual interviews were still usually completed in person up until the pandemic. These days, it's more common for the entire interview process to be virtual, which is much faster than meeting someone face-to-face. Not only can employers learn a lot about a candidate from a Zoom session, but they can schedule more of these types of interviews in a day.

Employers Make a Better Connection with Candidates

Since virtual interviews are quicker and more relaxed than meeting someone in person, employers find that they spend more time connecting with candidates than actually interviewing them. This may sound counterproductive, but it can be a great way to gauge whether or not a candidate is truly a good fit with a company's culture. Candidates conduct interviews from locations where they're the most comfortable, which makes them more likely to just be themselves. The connection that employers can form with candidates not only speeds up the hiring process, but it helps ensure that the new hire will be happy with their position.

A More Diverse Workplace

One effect of conducting virtual interviews and having employees work from home is that workplaces are becoming more diverse. Employees can hire people from practically anywhere, which means they're less likely to stick to the usual talent pool of potential new hires. They can cast a wider net and find candidates with specific talents and skills that they might not have been able to find before. Thanks to the faster interview process, they can see more of these candidates and have more options than they've ever had. The result could be a workforce that will look very different from what we had before, but that may not be a bad thing. The pandemic definitely changed the world, but in this case, that might not be a bad thing.