Eric Friedman is the Founder and CEO of eSkill, a global leader in skills testing and behavioral assessment solutions for employers.
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At the beginning of 2020, we watched in shock as the coronavirus changed life as we knew it. By March, more than a third of civilization was in lockdown. And just over a month later, the International Labour Organization warned that nearly half of the global workforce stood in “immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has not only caused an economic downturn, but it has also undoubtedly stress-tested human resources (HR) departments worldwide. The global crisis forced organizations to fast-forward into the future of work where remote technology solutions have become a necessity — no longer a nice-to-have.
As many companies struggle to modify their approach to hiring and retaining top talent, the moment is now for HR leaders to step up and play a strategic role in their organization’s survival and growth.
Architecting The Future Of HR
With 77% of U.S.-based human capital leaders surveyed in mid-April of this year anticipating that the number of employees primarily working remotely will continue to increase post-pandemic, it is not surprising that organizations are turning to cloud-based technology. According to PwC’s “HR Technology Survey 2020,” “HR leaders report strong business benefits from cloud-based HR systems.” The study revealed that organizations that use cloud-based HR solutions are 26% more likely to report gains in productivity and 27% more likely to report improved workforce insights than their counterparts using on-premise solutions.
While remote access is a critical component of building sustainable talent acquisition models in today’s “new normal,” it is also vital that various HR technologies integrate seamlessly with one another. The urgent need to move toward a synchronized system of hiring tools was evident even pre-pandemic. A report entitled “The State of Pre-Hire Tools and Systems” published in February by HR Research Institute revealed that only 16% of talent professionals surveyed reported having a well-integrated system of pre-hire technology tools.
As business leaders begin to grapple with how to architect the future of HR in a time of uncertainty, they must focus on technology changes that can deliver immediate results. Critical to rapidly bolstering an existing HR tech stack is integrating pre-hire assessment and interviewing software with applicant tracking systems (APS) and learning management systems (LMS).
By carefully assembling an HR tech stack capable of facilitating an agile, remote hiring model, organizations can adjust to continuously evolving business demands and accomplish the following.
Mitigate Bias In Talent Selection
The United States is currently faced with a crisis on top of a crisis. Amid the pandemic causing the highest unemployment rate our nation has seen in decades, nationwide protests have erupted over police brutality. There is a silver lining, though: Today’s complex reality is pushing human capital leaders to rethink how hiring decisions are made.
More apparent than ever is that organizations must evaluate candidates based on verified skills and competencies, rather than subjective measures like work experience or education credentials, to reduce the odds that unconscious or conscious bias will play a role in hiring decisions. As organizations begin to lay the groundwork for improved diversity and inclusion within their workforce, they must consciously eliminate subjective criteria when selecting talent.
Strategically Implement Remote Onboarding
Talent professionals can use the results of pre-hire assessments to understand prospective hires’ strengths and weaknesses. Organizations should use this data to inform strategic onboarding strategies. As organizations begin to hire remotely, it is imperative that the data gleaned from candidate evaluations be used to adjust onboarding processes and materials to fit new hires’ needs. By taking proactive steps to enhance the remote onboarding process, organizations will increase the likelihood of retaining top talent.
Develop An Internal Talent Supply
The pandemic has unequivocally reinforced the need for adaptable workforce strategies. Just as organizations use skills tests to quantify the skills and capabilities of external talent, HR leaders must adopt the same approach for evaluating their internal talent supply. By using a data-driven method to better understand employees’ skills, attributes and knowledge, organizations can begin to develop an agile and responsive internal talent marketplace.
The coronavirus has forever changed the landscape of the workforce, and organizations must work quickly to survive in today’s fluid and dynamic reality. Resiliency is key amid today’s disruptions and uncertainty. Therefore, as HR leaders prepare for a post-pandemic world, they must adopt a digital mindset focused on fostering agile workforces.
Even if your organization has not yet hit the unpause button on hiring, now is the time to begin developing strategic remote talent acquisition strategies. Because, eventually, this crisis will subside.
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