Debra Thorpe is President of Kelly Professional & Industrial.
getty
Thirty million — that's roughly how many Americans are collecting some form of unemployment benefits. Put another way: One in five workers are still without a full-time job as the U.S. economy continues its slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
With all that talent available, recruiting and hiring should be a breeze, right? Well, think again.
Hiring great talent hasn't gotten any easier during the Covid-19 crisis, and employees' priorities have shifted significantly during the pandemic. The priority used to be providing financially for our families. Now our talent customers are telling us their number one priority is the safety of their families.
You're no longer just competing with other employers; you're competing with a virus that has talent questioning whether it's safe to return to work, enhanced unemployment benefits that have incentivized workers to stay home and a lack of child care options that has parents demanding flexible hours and remote work. It's no surprise a large portion of the labor market has decided to stay home and ride the pandemic out.
At the same time, the demand for workers is outpacing supply in certain industries. Tech, retail, light industrial, public health and health education are all booming sectors, and 68% of workforce managers say they'll be just as likely or more likely to hire three months from now, according to the “COVID-19: Workforce Manager Responses and Intentions Survey 2020” by Staffing Industry Analysts, published in June. The staffing industry is equally optimistic, expecting a 56% increase in new orders over the next six months, according to SIA.
Right now, at Kelly we need to connect with three to five times more candidates to fill a position compared to a year ago. These are big changes in our industry and changes that we need to lean into.
But exactly how do you lean in to recruit effectively in this environment? Here are four strategies to master the art and science of recruiting top talent during this crisis.
1. Craft Your Talent Brand
The first step is understanding your brand as an employer. Forget about recruiting for a minute and clearly define who you are to the public. Do you have a strong identity and do others share your perception? When those two things are in alignment, it's much easier to craft your talent message. If they're not aligned, ask yourself what (mis)perceptions you'll have to overcome.
Then, flip the recruiting script. Instead of asking which candidates would be a good fit, ask why talent should choose you. What are some of the boxes you need to check? During this pandemic, it's about safety and flexible work options. Do you offer what talent is looking for?
This type of talent brand audit wouldn't be complete without identifying the key personas you're hiring. What's your target audience? Ambitious millennials looking to take the next step in their careers? Retirees interested in staying busy? Everyone in between? To do this right, go beyond the resumé. Understand what diverse set of experiences and personalities you're looking for.
2. Go Beyond Normal Channels
Over the past six months, we've seen an unprecedented shift toward remote work and, by extension, remote recruiting, hiring and onboarding. Whether you like it or not, remote is here to stay. Today's workers demand it. To meet job seekers where they are, explore new digital and social recruiting channels and leverage data analytics to determine which ones work for your target audience. That doesn't mean you should forget about traditional outreach, however. Personal referrals, job fairs and local influencers are still important. Multichannel is the way to go.
Your channels are one thing, and your messages the other. Whether you're recruiting virtually or in person, the experience has to be about fostering a human connection with your company and its culture. It's about recruiting real people instead of candidates. The information gathered from the talent audit mentioned above will help you craft messages that are relevant to them.
3. 'Sell' To Talent Until They Walk On The Job (And Beyond)
Ghosting has always been a problem in the recruiting world. The pandemic has only made it worse. No-show rates are through the roof with candidates entertaining multiple offers at the same time or deciding at the last minute they're not comfortable returning to work after all.
How do you mitigate this? By building relationships that last beyond the point of hire. My company's recruiting lead, Kris Kaslow, reminds us that recruiting is a sales process that doesn't stop until someone has completed an assignment.
4. Make Onboarding A Simple, Clear Science
The pandemic has sped up the hiring and onboarding process as companies are looking to respond swiftly to lifting shutdowns and changing regulations. Organizations are shrinking the whole process from months and weeks to days and hours to stay competitive in this talent environment.
That acceleration means companies need a consistent and robust onboarding process, one that eliminates unnecessary steps and guarantees all hires have a shared experience. If the process is virtual and you're onboarding remote employees, find creative ways to make them feel part of the team, including virtual lunches and meet-and-greets. This is your first opportunity to live up to your value as an employer. Getting it right sets both your company and your hires up for long-term success.
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify
