Executive Search and Recruiting during the corona crisis
It is surreal how tightly the corona crisis currently has a grip on all of our lives. Situations that seemed unthinkable yesterday are now a reality. Every industry is faced with new challenges due to the COVID-19 virus. Customers ask whether there will be enough strong leaders on the job market in the near future. Candidates ask if they have any chance of finding a new job in the coming weeks. Not every industry freezes in times of crisis. Not every company within the industries will feel the effects of the Corona crisis to the same extent. What the economy needs now are courageous thought leaders, empathetic managers, good strategies and the most qualified employees.
1. Digitize Your Recruiting Process
At first glance, recruiting new employees in difficult times may seem frivolous. Yes, it shows courage, but also determination to overcome the crisis with the most qualified employees. Today there are numerous ways to digitize the recruiting process without making it impersonal. A simple example: video interviews. Use Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Hangouts. Companies that are now flexible and stay on the ball land in the fast lane because their competitors are busy with themselves.
2. Invest in Your Candidate Relationship Management
Make it easy for attractive candidates by acting quickly and unbureaucratically. Administrative processes are also no longer a problem – the digital signature facilitates a lot. Even onboarding a new colleague can work in times of social distancing. And even if positions in recruiting are put on hold or have to be stopped completely, you don't just disappear into the pool. Communicate! For example, you can agree on follow-ups - which you should then absolutely adhere to. At some point you may need the candidate and until then you will create a good candidate experience and will be remembered positively. Currently there is probably enough time for kununu or Glassdoor reviews ...
3. Virtual Leadership: Communicate Regularly with Your Employees
Be as transparent as possible. Inform your existing and potential employees about current developments, further steps and employment law issues such as short-time work or care leave. Care, empathy and trust are now central management tasks. It is equally important to stay in touch with each other in the long-term home office. This increases motivation, strengthens cohesion and creates a sense of belonging even with spatial distance. Within the Talentor network, teams exchange information in a daily video call and are permanently connected via chats. Corporate culture can also be felt in the home office.
4. Home Office: It Works!
The corona crisis shows us what is possible when there is no alternative. Many employees are currently discovering that the job they have been told that they cannot do in the home office can very well be done remotely. It’s the year 2020 - performance is not linked to attendance! Generation Z talents require flexible work. According to an current Recruiting Trends study, four out of ten would not take a job without being able to work from home.
Many Talentor Countries have been working from home since the beginning of March – some of them even longer – like our Chinese partner. This works well because teleworking and trust-based working hours are standard for us and the infrastructure had been prepared accordingly. Contact with our customers and candidates is not in person, but is still "normal" via phone, email or video chat.
Companies that have so far avoided teleworking because they fear losing control over their employees are now faced with multiple challenges to think again, to find structures for teleworking and to move away from measuring worked hours to monitoring achieved results.
Think about the time after the crisis: What about all the talents who prefer to live in small villages far away from the city center? They are lost to the companies in the centers. Companies that offer mobile work can draw from a much larger pool of candidates.
5. Employer Branding Is Now More Important Than Ever
Even if forecasts for economic growth are scary and your employer branding strategy (and budget) suffers, you shouldn't forget about your (potential) employees. What can you do if your planned activities cannot be realized? - Focus on online employer branding. This shift is more relevant than ever to at least digitally create closeness in times of social distancing. Increase your brand awareness.
Dedicate yourself to your employer branding page and show your preferred candidate why you are the most attractive employer in your industry. In addition to text, use more interactive content types such as videos, images, graphics and GIFs.
Provide insights into the work environment, let the team and the manager speak. This is your chance to get in touch with future employees!
Don't forget: the daily benefits of your employees are no longer available, while the workload in the home office may increase. If it is within the scope of your options, orient yourself to the needs of the employees: delivery service and Netflix vouchers instead of meal subsidies or your own cafeteria. Subsidies for private internet costs, an ergonomic office chair for the home office ... there are no limits to creativity.
Make use of the possibilities of social media and have internal "job ambassadors" posted. This makes your employer branding tangible and attracts attention.
