post pandemic hiring will be different!

Despite everything we had to endure in 2020, the end of this nightmare is finally in sight as the COVID vaccines begins to roll out. Places may reopen, the economy is recovering, and we get to give our friends a hug without the feeling of guilt and fear.

With a whole new era in hiring and recruitment, however, 2021 is going to be a year full of adjustments and changes. Rather than sticking to old conventional practices, we’re expecting a new wave of tools, technology, and skills that will play into today’s working reality.

So for those who are planning to or are in the process of restoring your employee base, we’re hoping that this guide will give you some sense of direction moving forward.

First off; 2020 was the year that separated savvy companies from those lagging behind in technology. Before that, only 15% of businesses prioritised digital transformation. In the post-pandemic era, it is expected that most companies will be incorporating technology into every part of their business. Speaking specifically to HR, this growth will likely open new doors for hiring and team management tools.

According to PWC’s 2020 HR Technology Survey, 74% of companies plan to increase spending on HR tech to address talent needs!

Rise in ‘all-purpose’ employees in foodservice and retail

With most restaurants and shops now reopened for business, we’re bringing our customer-facing workers back to where they were before. A bit of a spoiler alert here, though, it’s not going to be the way it used to be.

Why? We’re looking at entirely new job descriptions and titles that didn’t exist pre-pandemic. For example, in some places, waiters are required to also do temperature screening and perform sanitising work on top of their usual food serving duties.

It makes sense that for an industry that naturally values quantity over quality, introducing recruitment tech to your foodservice and retail hiring may seem like overkill.

But new job functions that emerged due to COVID will change how we hire in this industry. Even with increasing job demand and the desire to replenish the workforce, many companies now look for specific skills when hiring front-line staff.

As we talk about the rise in ‘all-purpose’ employees, the ability to multitask comes to mind. How you measure this will differ from company to company. But here at Locum People, utilising Prevue, we have the science that allows recruiters to explore relevant characteristics such as reactivity and flexibility. In other words, you can find out if the candidate likes variety in their work; whether they’re organised and likely to follow instructions; and how they tend to approach work pressures and demands.

Working remotely is the new norm for techies

The pandemic has forced almost everyone in tech to work from home − and it is very likely that this will stay as the new norm moving forward. In hiring, this means you’ll be looking at not only their programming and coding skills, but also their ability to communicate and collaborate in an entirely remote environment.

As we all know, every individual has a unique set of traits that make them different from others. We apply the same concept to the positions that we’re hoping to fill − i.e., what specific characteristic does this role require for the candidate to succeed? What are some common core qualities a software developer needs in order to perform well, or to work remotely?

Based on the work that they need to do, programmers and developers are generally self-sufficient individuals. Many prefer working in isolation and are more productive in environments that don’t involve too much interaction. This makes them the perfect candidate for remote work.

But in the odd chances that you are looking at a completely qualified candidate who instead of working alone, prefers being surrounded by a team of like-minded members − you’ll need tools beyond a job-fit assessment to understand what exactly makes them tick.

With extra data in hand, you now have a better picture of each person to come up with well-tailored interview questions. Consider this an opportunity to impress your candidates!

Savvy salespeople will change the game

The future of work is going to be very digital-heavy. And it seems like the pandemic may have brought us closer to this future a bit sooner than we thought. The ‘Zoom era’ is only the beginning of it all. Moving forward, basic digital literacy will be fundamental to working professionals all-around. This includes salespeople that can normally thrive with excellent people-skills alone. Yup, being a smooth-talker will no longer be enough.

The ideal nature of a sales hunter does not change − that being someone who is independent, aggressive, and passionate. What you’re simply adding to the benchmark is the candidate’s ability to process information and technology, as well as their likelihood to learn on their own. We’re not here to pitch a sale (no pun intended!) but applying cognitive and skills testing to your hiring will make a difference.

By adjusting the way we approach hiring, in case of other unprecedented events, you’re securing yourself a team that is ready and well-equipped to stay afloat at all times. This will prove beneficial to your company in the long-run. So better to start now than later!

Let us know what your ideal hiring scenario looks like. We can help!