With the world turned upside down in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we turned to some of our favorite experts in talent and recruiting to discuss how companies can shift their people strategies in our recent webinar, Recruiting When Nobody's Hiring.
Hosted by Josh Goldstein, Underdog.io's Co-Founder, and Mary Morelli, Underdog.io's Customer Success Manager, the panel featured the following guests:
In case you missed it, check out the recording here to learn all of the powerful insights delivered from an expert panel of talent leaders. Here are some of the key takeaways:
This is an opportunity for recruiters and talent professionals to tackle projects that strengthen your recruiting processes and employer brand.
Historically, Talent Teams have been notoriously pressed for time. Immediate recruiting concerns like building pipelines, scheduling interviews, and filling multiple requisitions at once have forced many leaders to put project-based work on the back burner. Now that recruiting for many organizations has slowed, our panelists noted that this is a great time to invest in those initiatives.
Our panelists shared that they've shifted their attention to projects like revamping their onboarding programs, training their interviewers on best practices, investing in their employer brand, building career ladders, and revamping their recruitment drip campaigns.
Company leaders can be your biggest allies.
It's important to maintain open lines of communication with your executive team and other company leaders to ensure you stay on the same page. Because so much is up in the air, our panelists recommend keeping your plans fluid and building in room for uncertainty. This may look like changing the cadence of your headcount planning meeting from quarterly to monthly, or regularly checking in with various department heads to ensure that your highest priority roles reflect your most up-to-date business needs. Aim for transparency and flexibility, and you'll be best equipped to handle your organization's rapidly changing needs.
Candidate experiences need to focus on empathy.
Even though some organizations are slowing down their hiring efforts, many are still hoping to invest in building their hiring pipeline long term. Our panelists recommended being open with candidates in process about whether a role has been filled or de-prioritized, and to set appropriate expectations about when you may be recruiting for that role again in the future. This will help to maintain goodwill with candidates you may want to consider again for future roles.
Our panelists also recommend only posting jobs to your Careers Page that you're actively filling. To build pipeline for roles that aren't currently open, but you hope to fill down the line, consider adding an open call for resumes to your Careers Page. This way, you can continue to collect applicants for future positions without leaving the impression that you'll be able to interview them immediately.
Renew your focus on employee health and wellness.
Many organizations have shifted to fully remote work for the first time ever. This rapid change means that many employees who previously had a distinct separation between their work and home lives are struggling to adjust to a new normal. Organizations that take steps to support employee mental health during this time will be the most successful.
Our panelists mentioned that they're encouraging their team to take time off as needed, are supporting employees in taking regular breaks throughout the workday, and are allowing for more flexible work schedules to ensure employees can manage their family obligations without guilt.
Our panelists also mentioned that Talent teams should be prepared to answer a candidate's questions about how their organization is supporting their team throughout the pandemic. Companies who are going the extra mile to ensure their team is well-equipped to do their jobs from home will have a competitive advantage.
Uncertainty begets opportunity. With so much in flux in today's job market, there's a wide variety of ways your people strategy can shift to build positive brand outreach, showcase empathy, and foster a positive experience for your in-house and in-pipeline talent. All of these require honest communication and creativity to resonate with your team and candidates.
We're all human here and everyone's trying to navigate this pandemic the best they can. With so many displaced from their jobs or stressed with the new ways of working, being an ally to your employees both current and prospective is vital in these times.
Watch the full recording of the webinar here.
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