Employers: Be Prepared for a Post-COVID-19 Hiring Blitz

There is no question that we will get past the COVID-19 outbreak, the only question is when? The economy will recover and businesses are eagerly awaiting their time to jump in head first to get back to operations and growth.

Many businesses have had to temporarily lay off employees, some of which won’t return, as well as permanent layoffs for some. A lot of those businesses are expecting an influx in demand and business activity post-COVID-19 and are starting to plan hiring needs now to get a leg up on competitors competing for the same talent.

With the uncertainty in the economy, unemployment rising, and the talent pool widening companies are already planning their hiring needs for post-COVID-19.

Proactive Candidate Sourcing – Identify ideal candidates

Although a lot of businesses do not have specified start dates in mind until they know more about the timelines of COVID-19, they are beginning to identify their ideal candidates.

Pre-COVID-19, there was a shortage of talent for a lot of the roles. You were likely either overpaying simply to get talent in the door and decreasing your profitability, or you weren’t able to fill roles for long periods of time, resulting in a decrease in productivity.

Seizing the opportunity of a larger talent pool and candidate base, consider beginning to create banks of likely candidates for roles that you know you will need to hire right away. Knowing that executive roles typically take 2-3 months to fill from the beginning of the process until a placement is made, you don’t have time to waste once business activities resume. Shaving time off of the recruitment cycle by already sourcing the candidates you want to reach out to will give you an edge in the war on talent against your competitors post-COVID-19.

Candidate Outreach – Get the conversations started

Once potential candidates are identified, businesses need to get the conversation started. Creating an enticing marketing message to potential candidates is essential to spark interest in your company and roles. You need to make a compelling case why they should consider your organization over others or staying with their current employer post-COVID-19. Read our article on how to increase the response rate of LinkedIn Inmails to help with your efforts in getting a response.

Although you may not have a specific timeline of when you will be filling the role, getting the conversations started now will benefit you and decrease the amount of time to hire with a desired candidate. Now is the time to get candidates researching your business and engaging in further conversations about your company and role.

Virtual Interviews – Get to know each other

Don’t be afraid to engage further with interested candidates. Book virtual interviews to screen in the candidates you would like to continue conversations with versus those that you do not think will be a fit. Check out our previous post on how to conduct effective video interviews to ensure you are prepared and conduct professional interviews to give a great first impression. If you’re able to conduct interviews now, you will get close to the finalization of the recruitment process for post-COVID-19 while your competitors are just getting started on their recruitment process.

Extend Offers With Flexible Start Dates

If you want to get across the line before post-COVID-19, extend offers to candidates with flexible start dates. That way both you and the candidate have comfort in knowing that you are both committed. Once business activities resume you’ll both have had ample time to effectively plan your transitions and get started as soon as possible.

Now is not the time to sit back and wait until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. You need to be proactive in your recruiting efforts in order to attract top quartile candidates for post-COVID-19 positions.

If you need assistance with any of your recruiting efforts and virtual hiring please get in touch with us at Keynote Search. We are still open for business with flexible payment plans to meet your needs.