How COVID-19 has changed the Recruitment Process?

COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world forever. Going to the office and working, going out for enjoying meals, and even get together with friends will never be the same again for a few years. The current pandemic has caused a seismic shift in the way we behave, eat and work. So, it is hardly surprising that the current pandemic has also altered the way we hunt for the jobs, we get hired and how companies select the best talent. It is undoubtedly true that recruitment is undergoing a revolution and recruitment during COVID-19 is not the same as before.

You might be wondering, How this global health crisis changed the job market? What will be the future of recruitment? How exactly did this pandemic alter the hiring needs of organisations? Other changes we expect in the coming years? And, more importantly, are these changes permanent? Here in this writing, I am explaining how this global health crisis changed recruitment.

Hiring - Trending Up and Down

At a time when the world is battling with the Coronavirus, there has been a drastic change in the hiring needs of the companies. In some industries, the demand for new people has soared, but in most, there has been a decline in hiring. As global markets panicked and due to the lockdown and social distancing policies the economic activity stopped, many companies have been forced to shut and hiring automatically slowed down. The travel, bars, entertainment venues, restaurant, airlines and hospitality industries are among the most hard-hit by the virus.

It’s natural to be worried about starting a career at this time. While it’s good news for fresh graduates looking for a job as fresher jobs in India are showing signs of revival.

While some industries have had a devastating effect by the coronavirus pandemic, other industries are seeing the exact opposite effect. Industries such as health care, online learning companies, remote communication services, grocery stores, food, pharmacy, retail and supply chain industries have faced a huge sudden need for their services and these companies hire a lot of additional employees.

Rising trend of Online Hiring

During the lockdown, when restrictions were imposed to follow the social distancing norms and to stop the spread of the COVID-19, to keep employees and prospective candidates safe from getting infected most employers moved to online hiring criteria. In the present time, due to the shortage of open positions, getting a job is difficult because there’s more competition than ever. To adopt new hiring process it is utmost important for you to get familiar with the technology like tools used for recruitment, find out steps to get noticed in the complex job market, keep your profile updated and include relevant skills in your resume.

Remote Job Offers

To beat the competition, recruiters look for multiple types of employees including full time, part-time, work from home and project-based. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it seems that the trend of 9 to 5 job will soon be over. The change may be uncomfortable at the beginning, but talent acquisition professionals are ready for the task. It has been seen that many companies have offered work from home until the situation normalises. As companies are giving remote job offers, it’s important for job aspirants to mentally prepare to WFH or a remote location. Please note, during the interview, you may be asked how you keep yourself motivated and organised when working from a remote location or home.

Video Interviews – No more Face to Face Discussions

To curb the spread of coronavirus it is highly important to adhere to social distancing, and now companies are replacing face to face interview round with video interviews. In the hiring process, to select the candidates for a job, initial phone screenings remain the same, but the face-to-face interview has moved online, it could be on Skype, Zoom, Teams or any other video platform. Hiring professionals can assess gestures, expressions, engagement and body language easily.

In the final analysis, I must say that it’s not only the IT companies that are recruiting amid the pandemic but firms in other sectors are also looking for people in the entry and middle levels. It is important for companies to adopt a policy which is safe for their workforce, partners and their customers.