Although the situation is changing rapidly and many companies have only short-term prospects at present, it is good to think about what the recruitment situation will look like once the panic and hard measures are over. Get ready now.
Maintain a good reputation
Every company is well aware that the way it treats employees and candidates now will affect the reputation of the employer brand in the future. The same will apply when the coronavirus period ends. Togetherness, communication and transparency have always been part of the core set of HR tools that are now crucial. If you don't want to close your business, you should think about this. You need quality people now and you will also need them later.
Organisations that currently refuse to allow people to work from home (if the nature of their job allows it) will lose in the eyes of their employees. Large organisations with seemingly endless resources that are making minimal efforts to ensure work safety at this time also risk damaging their good name. A basic level of occupational health and safety in a pandemic is considered a norm; people tend to look more at what extra the company can provide.
Saying "NO" is not worth it
Do you remember an outstanding candidate you had lined up for a position but in the end you didn't hire them because one of their conditions was to be able to work at least partially remotely? How much you might have appreciated such a person today to deal with demanding projects when large numbers of employees have to work from home anyway. Remember this moment in the future when your employees and prospective applicants request the possibility of working from home. Will you still deliver a sharp "no" after the current experience, or instead try to set up an optimal model of functioning?
For some talents, working from home is the key to maximum productivity. For example, many entrepreneurs who work for companies are used to delivering tasks on demand and are more effective at teleworking. Perhaps many existing employees who have always worked on site will turn out to be the same. Start planning how you can deploy ways of working remotely in your company permanently.
Consider what offer you will make and to whom
Unemployment is rising and some jobs are likely to disappear together with their businesses. However, we will bounce back from this state, even if the road will be bumpy. Although there is likely to be a larger selection of candidates on the market, it is now necessary to think about the recruiting model for hiring new colleagues. According to seniority? Performance? Something else?
At the same time, it is necessary to prepare for the possibility that as soon as the situation calms down and companies try to start their business in a hurry again, the recruitment situation will become more acute. Paradoxically, in some industries or positions, companies may again try to gain quality candidates via significantly higher financial bids than before the crisis. A similar effect was seen in America, for example, after Hurricane Katrina was raging, as many fast food restaurants, desperately wanting to relaunch their business, needed employees immediately and thus began offering significantly higher wages.
Stay in touch
Staying in touch with potential candidates has never been more important. Although several companies have temporarily put recruiting on hold, do not abandon potentially interesting candidates and, most importantly, communicate with them. One day, in the not too distant future, you will probably want to contact them. However, they may no longer be available because they will not be waiting for your decision.
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