With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole world went on pause and recruitment processes were no exception. Many businesses have frozen hiring and hiring processes, at the same time as hundreds of thousands of people were temporarily laid off or permanently losing their jobs.
Thus, after several years of full employment and a shortage of labor in Quebec, the unemployment rate jumped to 17% in April 2020, while it stood at 8.1% in March and 4.5% in February, Lowest level since 1976.
However, this turnaround could represent an opportunity to seize to integrate the best talents in your industry into your recruitment process, who are currently listening to new opportunities!
Hiring freeze and hiring process freeze: two different things
Faced with uncertainty, many companies have suspended hiring, but this decision has not stopped some of them from continuing with their recruitment process.
Without necessarily completing their process by hiring, organizations that continue to recruit have a competitive advantage over those that stopped everything, because they obtain a larger volume of resumes than before the crisis and have access to a whole new pool of potential candidates.
So here are some tips to effectively relaunch your recruitment processes, if your context allows it, without necessarily relaunching your hires.
MAKE AN INVENTORY OF THE POSITIONS TO BE FILLED IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS
First, it is important to take stock of your recruitment needs. Among the positions you were trying to fill before the crisis, which are simply on hold due to the context and which will simply no longer be filled due to a major change in the business context?
On the other hand, some employees may have announced their resignation to you during the crisis. This could lead to a reorganization of roles or internal promotions that will create new openings to fill.
Once the inventory is complete, identify priority positions to be filled as soon as the hiring freeze is lifted and those that should normally be filled in the next three months.
START NOW...!
If you are wondering when to resume your recruitment processes, the answer is probably right now...!
Recruiting often takes longer than you think. Sometimes a candidate who seems ideal to you goes through all the stages of your process to finally decline your offer, sending you back to square one.
As the pool of candidates available or listening to new opportunities is larger than usual, take advantage of this period to post positions for which you have historically had difficulty recruiting. If you have no intention of filling these positions in the short term, be sure to post your position as a career opportunity within your company, rather than as a vacancy to be filled.
BE VISIBLE
Candidates are on the lookout, browsing job sites and social media, actively looking for a new job or curious to analyze what could be available to them. If your business seems to have been on hiatus since March, you're unlikely to catch their attention.
On the other hand, if you share news, remote work initiatives and innovative ideas that you have put in place to promote remote collaboration, you will be visible and above all, you will stand out from the crowd.
Encourage potential candidates to apply to you even if you don't have any positions available at the moment. If you have vacancies that will be filled in the coming months, post them now and promote them.
On the other hand, it will be important to get in touch with all the candidates you are interested in within a reasonable period of time, even if the position is not immediately available.
START THE PROCESS
A recruitment process is often much longer than expected at the beginning and sometimes requires several postings before receiving a few relevant applications...!
For an exceptional candidate, you may decide to start the process as soon as they receive their application. As for an average candidate, you could establish an initial contact for a preliminary analysis of their application, inform them that the process is slow and keep them informed of developments on a regular basis.
Once you identify a relevant candidate, contact them as soon as possible to let them know that you are interested in their application. Find out about his status (temporarily laid off, unemployed, actively looking, employed). This will allow you to estimate how much longer the candidate will be available.
Do your regular interview, then if you are interested in the candidate, be transparent with him about the fact that you want to move forward with his application but that the company is in a hiring freeze or that your processes are slow.
Plan the next step with him, ideally one week after your first interview at the latest. Integrate other team members into the process (immediate supervisor and co-workers) so they can become familiar with your environment and your team.
At each stage, inform him about the activities of the company, the challenges experienced, the challenges experienced, the achievements, the progress of important projects, etc. The objective is to show him that the situation is changing, but be honest with him if you feel that the situation is stagnant.
Also, be sure to regularly inform yourself about the candidate's interest in the opportunity and the evolution of his status (is he in advanced stages elsewhere, has he received an offer from another employer, etc.).
COMMUNICATE!
Once your process is complete, but still unable to proceed with a hire, inform the candidate that you have a serious interest in their application and tell them why you appreciate their application. Tell him that you will follow up regularly with him to keep him informed of the evolution of the situation and above all, keep your word!
The possibility of successfully relaunching your recruitment process in the context of a hiring freeze is mainly based on your ability to follow up regularly with selected candidates!
A comprehensive process without follow-up for several weeks would ruin your chances of successfully hiring the candidate. Without news from you, the candidate will lose interest in your opportunity and your business. He might even have a bad memory of it and feel like he was wasting his time. On the other hand, regular follow-ups will certainly set you apart from other companies that often struggle to ensure adequate follow-up.
Be available and open, encourage the candidate to contact you if they have any questions or follow up on their application. These few minutes you give him will make a real difference in the success of your process.
When the situation is restored and you can hire again, you can communicate the good news to the candidate and carry out the usual checks (professional references, criminal records) before planning the offer meeting.
REASSESS YOUR BENEFITS
In the meantime, consider reevaluating your benefits. Following the crisis, many candidates will ask you about your insurance program, your sick leave, the possibility of teleworking and taking advantage of flexible hours. If your business doesn't offer any of this, you'll have a bit more trouble attracting candidates and standing out. You could therefore miss out on quality candidates who could have a strategic impact on your organization.
If necessary and according to your context, consider also planning how to start a remote position. Write remote work policies and plan the distance learning program.
INFORM YOUR COLLEAGUES
If some of your colleagues are still on temporary layoff, be sure to communicate to them the objective of relaunching your recruitment process, which is to build and maintain a pool of potential candidates, without necessarily hiring new employees in the short term. This will avoid any misunderstandings!
In short, the pool of job seekers has been this vast for a long time! Take the opportunity to enrich your career page and promote your organization and its opportunities while candidates are on the lookout!
