This year has been nothing but harrowing. It has made many of us throw our plans out of the window. The COVID 19 crisis has crumbled down the economy. So, as a result, businesses around the world are facing some of the toughest times in over a decade. Just like the other business sectors, the pandemic has also presented a number of unprecedented challenges for the recruiting teams all around the globe. Your company’s hiring process may look a little different now than it used to be before this crisis. So, to keep your candidate pipeline full, you need to adapt your recruiting practices according to the current needs. In this article, we will walk through some very useful tips that will help you hire top talent faster during this COVID 19 crisis. 

Effects of COVID 19 on Recruiting

Recruiting top talents can be an excruciating task. The current crisis has brought upon a huge change in the recruitment industry. The infection has spread rapidly across the globe in a span of just a couple of months. That’s why social distancing norms have forced organizations to adopt measures so that their staff remains safe. While employees are adapting to working remotely, schools are closed and events are canceled. And as the situations are worsening with every passing day, there’s a good chance that remote is the new way of living.

Remote work is the reality and future for almost every industry, including the recruiting and HR. Even amidst the economic crisis, hiring is happening, but remotely. As a matter of fact, remote hiring is going to be a major trend in the future of hiring. 

• As the data from Jobvite suggests, 84% of recruiters are adapting to remote hiring practices. 

• A recent study by Doodle shows, around 16% of the HR professionals in the US said they were all set to go fully virtual with their recruitment. While the recruitment industry is still adapting to remote hiring, this number may go up in the near future. 

The future of recruitment is uncertain as it relates to the current pandemic. For recruiters and hiring managers, this shift to the virtual working environment is bringing up new questions: How to hire top talent faster during this COVID 19 crisis? How to overcome the uncertainties? Here are some insightful tactics you can adopt to your hiring practices. These will help you to overcome these challenging times.

Tips to Hire Top Talent Faster

Update your Recruiting Process

If you are hiring during the coronavirus pandemic, you need to make sure your recruitment process is updated. Remote hiring experience is definitely going to be totally different than in-person hiring. You need to prepare a detailed and well-thought-out recruitment process. You can also consider asking your current employees to help with your recruitment process. This will give you a versatile set of insights. Every stage of remote hiring is going to be virtual, so you need to have a technology-friendly outlook. Take your time, evaluate your present process, your current needs, then update your recruitment process.

Post attractive job openings and let people know you’re hiring

The pandemic has hit the economy badly. Many companies are undergoing layoffs or hiring freeze. So, many qualified candidates might be under the impression that most companies are not hiring. So you must take great care in ensuring that top talented candidates know you’re hiring. You can post your job openings on various channels including social media. Along with that, make sure your job descriptions are attractive and precise. Highlight the duties and responsibilities very clearly. Clarity about expectations always keeps qualified talent around.

Build a stronger Employer Brand

The days of in-person recruitment, job fairs across college campuses are gone. Recruiters now have the task to virtually build an employer brand. Building a strong employer brand is more important now with remote hiring. The job seekers should connect with you and want to work for you. On the one hand, so many people are losing their job, whereas, on the other hand, a huge number of jobs are created as well. As a recruiter, you need to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. Recruiters need to sell themselves as employers who are driven by passion and determination rather than only profit. You can leverage your website and social media accounts for building a strong employer brand. 

Enhance your talent pool

Most of the recruiters miss out on top talents because they don’t have a great talent pool. During this time of crisis, you should shift your focus on building a talent pool. You should have different types of candidates in your talent pool: Passive candidates, or candidates who are already working for you. A great talent pool helps you to speed up your recruitment process. To improve your talent pool, you can consider having tie-ups with search firms and universities. You can also encourage your existing employees to participate in professional online webinars or forums. These can help a lot in attracting new talents. 

Use an Employee Referral Program

With the inability to meet in-person and other physical constraints, a referral program might be a great idea for senior hires. Also, if you have a busy hiring team, employee referrals can reduce your hiring time. Recruiters can leverage the candidate’s professional network and reel in new talents. By implementing a referral program, you can get your employees invested in the recruitment process. You can also offer your employees some extra perks like nice bonuses, vacation days to attract the best candidates possible.