Covid-19 has changed our lives and plans upside down. It seems to have created a massive barrier between us and the future, making the latter vague and unpredictable. However, it’s the challenges that generate innovation and bring opportunities. Think of new ways to get things done, don’t be afraid to try new things, and bravely question the old ones.

One of the challenges mentioned above has to do with hiring new employees and talent acquisition. It is so hard to compete with more giant corporations that have many resources. Still, we are here to tell you that the right people will come your way. Think about every possible way to move forward and come out of those challenges with honor. Don't fear the new challenges in talent acquisition. Instead, come up with practical ways to create a strong workforce. We all have adjusted to living our lives virtually, and even after the pandemic, returning to everyday life may be a long way. But what if it’s more time-consuming than it used to be? What if we continue using this virtual lifestyle?

Remote or hybrid work has tremendous advantages that we never imagined. One of the most apparent ones is that it offers flexibility, saves time, and provides a great wealth of global talent. Remote or hybrid business models can decrease the turnover rate, boost employee output and efficiency if done correctly. As author Zig Ziglar so expertly said, “You don’t build a business, you build people, and then people build the business.” Here we highlight the nine most workable tips to guide you in hiring the right people virtually in 2021. Shall we start?!

Assure Safety And Sanitation

As estimated, 68% of employers are excited to return to work, 28% of employees say they are eager. The reason is that the majority do not want to put their health in danger. Just because you take every measure to ensure your employee’s health and safety, you may not attract candidates. Take the opportunity to talk about them from the very beginning. Every employee likes to feel that their leader takes care of them. Mention your safety plan in your job description. If the job is a match, your candidates will want to get the details about your company. They will seek reassurance that you care about safety and have protocols and guidelines in place. Hence, using it in your employer branding will increase your chances of attracting your candidates for a simple reason.

Your recruitment ads should include the measures you take for safety and sanitation. The process of hiring won't be effective in attracting candidates if you don’t take sanitation seriously. Having safety precautions is not something to stand out. It is a necessity and is a minimum requirement for every employer looking to open their door back up. With any implemented safety measure, be sure to inform all employees about it. If you have specific protocols, ensure that employees know the details of the protocols as well. The more effort employees see as you enforce safety protocols, they will feel less eager and more protected by you.

Use Background And Reference Checks

According to the Society of Human Resources Management, 53% of all job applications contain inaccurate information. Given this data, it becomes apparent why checking references and verifying background information can be a powerful tool for employers in the hiring process. Background checks provide details by the previous employers on the work habits the person had. They are the most reliable sources providing the history of your applicant, alongside any record that you as an employer should know. If anything turns up, you are allowed to ask for details of the situation.

References, in their turn, highlight the personal characteristics a job applicant has. Remember, we’re hiring virtually. So, using them is crucial, even though you may have a shortage of time as a small business owner. Regardless of the information attained through these methods, take them with a grain of salt while hiring employees. Individuals are viable candidates unless their past affects their ability to do the job or they are a danger to themselves or others in any way.

Use Candidate Experience For A Good Reputation

The following important tip for successful hiring has a rewarding and positive candidate experience. It is a person’s impression from the minute the individual encounters your company to the final rejection or acceptance, including the entire recruiting process. Provide them with a good and positive start, as they will never forget the bad one. Nowadays, most candidates pay close attention to the ratings and reviews on social media platforms. Hence, providing your candidates with a good experience will undoubtedly be beneficial to your organizational reputation. Always show your good attitude and appreciation to your prospective employees. It will motivate them and boost their engagement from the very beginning.

Follow this great positive experience throughout the entire organization. If you only focus on creating a great candidate experience merely in hiring employees but do not follow through after their onboarding, the chances are the new hire will start thinking of leaving. Millennials and Gen Z primarily rely on enjoying the work and the company they invest their time in. They do not feel the need to stay if they are not in an environment that is positive and supportive consistently. Candidate experience and expectations trickle down from the top. Leaders are shaping cultures. Leaders set the atmosphere through the habits, expectations, and treatment of others. Always think of employees as investments and treat them with compassion and kindness. These little habits can turn a toxic environment into a healthy and thriving one.

Upskilling For Hard-To-Fill Positions

The business world has been wide aware of the skills gap that has been developing for years. It is even more challenging for smaller and medium-sized businesses to compete with large corporations with nearly unlimited resources. In their joint report, the World Economic Forum and The Boston Consulting Group stated that companies need to commit to building a workforce full of future-ready skills, mainly digital and technical skills, that help beneficiaries adapt to the changing work landscape.

Because of Covid-19, the chances to occupy the hard-to-fill positions have become even harder. However, new technologies and data can help you provide your employees with appropriate skills. The term you are looking for here is upskilling. Forbes defines upskilling on both macro and micro levels. It is defined as individuals learning new skills on the micro-level and is the tectonic shift in the workplace caused by technology on the macro level. By upskilling within your team, you are not only developing a more robust workforce, but it also gives your employees new opportunities in their career path while still having employment in your company. Both the employee and the employer are at an advantage.

As an employer, you know how much hiring costs. Plus, the time it takes to find a candidate, onboard them, and train them can be stressful when you have deadlines and projects that need to you need to complete as soon as possible. If you begin to train existing employees, you will have qualified individuals for those hard-to-fill positions. You will also reduce employee turnover as employees will feel motivated to work hard to earn those positions within the company.

Hire Dynamic People

As former CEO of Porsche Peter Schutz once said, “Hire character. Train skill.” These words apply to our modern business world more than ever. Given the skills gap, hiring someone motivated to grow and expand their knowledge base is essential for business success. So, business owners and managers need to employ dynamic people, meaning they are willing to adapt, are flexible, and open minds to learning and growing.

According to Inc., one of the essential attributes of dynamic employees is the love to explore novel approaches and solutions. From the human resources and hiring perspectives, this is indeed a great attribute to possess and look out for. People who love innovation constantly strive to look for better ways to do things. The regular working solutions are satisfactory. They will excel at it without any challenges. However, they will still strive to find something that’s better, faster, or more efficient. A potential open-ended question to ask your candidates is, “Tell me about a time you lacked the skills or knowledge to complete an assignment.” This question is powerful because, as human beings, we are more aware of the good we’ve done and more forgetful of tasks that we did not get to accomplish. By asking this question, you will see the candidate’s reaction as to how they embrace failure. Their example will tell you how they dealt with the specific situation and allow you their analytical skills. Additionally, you will see if they are open to embracing the growth mindset.

Having dynamic employees will unify your team towards the same goal. Hire people that can do multi-tasked work. People that want to grow and advance. Provide additional skills training and grow together with them. The process is not that easy, though. You should take your time to find the perfect matches to avoid employee turnover. Hiring the right people will be the key to your business success. Your team can be small yet very trusted. It can help you direct them and take an individual approach. As a result, if more appreciated, your staff will be more productive, efficient and motivated.

Use Social Media To Promote Your Work Culture

Social media has many pros and cons. In the context of hiring employees, companies like Indeed use employee reviews from your company page. Your social media portrays your current and former employees' perception of your company and shapes future applicants' opinions. Head on to this page to learn how to set up your company page now. Be responsive and transparent, and it will go a long way. Show your positive company culture through various social media platforms.

Indeed, managing accounts on all platforms could be very costly. If you have a limited budget, find the platform that your hiring target market is most interested in and invest your resources in that particular platform. For example, the majority of Generation Zers (89%), millennials (86%), Generation Xers (68%), and baby boomers (52%) use YouTube at least once a week to access video content. Use this information wisely and upload a little preview of what it feels like to work at your company, share your founder story to ignite a spark, or have monthly discussions. Show that your audience is essential to you by answering all their questions, comments, and messages. You can also highlight your company values and use videos to convey the enthusiasm and energy that prevails in the workplace.

Humanize your brand using creative, sometimes humorous content. You can include the photos of your teammates to make your content even accurate. Encourage your employees to engage with your company on these platforms. Remember that Google ranks higher the websites having content that is up to date. The proper use of social media platforms will attract not only your customers but also job candidates.

Consider Employee Referrals

You can use this internal method in finding new talents. Include your employees in the hiring process and make them feel more appreciated and trusted. It will increase the quality of hire, as your teammates already know your company culture very well. In this case, your job candidates are more likely to be trustworthy, as they have already earned your employees’ respect. Utilizing employee referrals is also a great strategy to boost employee retention rate and save your time. You no longer need to source and screen your candidates. You can simply ask them to attend the interview.

A great incentive to motivate your employees for referrals is giving bonuses. Many companies provide a certain amount of rewards when employees give referrals, usually with a contingency like receiving the bonus prize after an employee is hired and stays for a certain amount of months. Referrals allow you to attain qualified candidates who are committed to the role. It will also help define the recruiting process. Instead of going through many resumes from a job posting, you can get some background on the person from the employee. Referrals do not mean that these individuals will get hires. Be sure to be completely transparent with employees in that regard. Referrals still need to go through the normal screening process as some may not have the skills or requirements of the job.

Outsource Recruitment Process

Hiring is expensive. Often we hire employees because we see the need right away, and we need the hire right away. There might be a significant potential of hiring the wrong people because of lack of time. So what to do? The solution is simple. Find yourself an ally - either an individual recruiter or a recruiting agency to support you. In the current gig economy, this is quite realistic and affordable. Especially small to medium businesses that may not have a structured HR department yet.

Outsourcing is a great way to get professional HR services efficiently and productively. Business owners wear a variety of hats. They run their business. They handle financial accounts, HR, and more. They start feeling overwhelmed because their business is growing, and they have to learn and control everything. Do not stress yourself out trying to do everything. A great leader knows the best way to get things done is through delegation and getting extra help. Do not risk trying to learn years of industry experience through a google search, especially when it comes to compliance. Avoid legal trouble and outsource what you need.

Being resourceful is the best thing you can do for your business. As a new business owner, it is difficult to relinquish control. You may want to hold on as tight as possible since you put so much time and effort into making your business a reality. Great businesses are the ones who learn to adapt to anything. If you need to make changes, make them. Even if it makes you feel uncomfortable, above all, be grateful for the individuals who are helping you learn and grow your business. You can make many connections through outsourcing. Once you build that relationship, in the long run, the outsourcing company that had a great experience with you will continue to send you some outstanding and talented people.

Stand Out From Your Rivals

Remember that your job candidate is going to choose between you and your competitors. The most crucial aspect here is being honest and transparent in the interview process and building relationships with the candidate. To have a high ranking in google, you should have excellent optimization. So, your actions may also include paying an SEO specialist. Try your best to attract your candidates and make them find comfort in your work environment. Always stay updated on trends and what people are looking for in their jobs. Things are constantly changing. Learn about the needs of millennials and Gen Z as they are pretty different.

Defining company values is also an essential factor. A company with solid core values dedicated to helping others and reflecting that back into the company will make you stand out from rivals. People want three things in the workplace; a fun and positive work environment, understanding and support, and growth. When creating or adding a structure to your company, think about how you can satisfy these three needs of employees, and you will become one of the fantastic companies people want to work for.

Use these hiring tips for your company, overcoming all the challenges that Covid has prepared for us. Create your dream team and grow with it, moving towards the same ideas and goals. No matter how big or small your business is, anyone can implement these practices. Hiring the right people is about understanding their needs and trying your best to fulfill them. Once that happens, talent will be lining up for your business. If you found this article helpful, let us know in the comments! Let’s build a connection. We at HR Lab enjoy getting to see a variety of businesses. We are an outsourcing company that can be a resource for you. If you need more advice, we invite you to explore our website at www.hrlablosangeles.com and reach out to us for support.

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About HR Lab: Formed in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, HR Lab is here to make a difference. At HR Lab, we work to strengthen workforce quality by improving the HR system, ensuring its ongoing relevance, and preparing employers, workers, educators, and governments to use it effectively. Our vision is a labor market that relies on the relevance, quality, and value of workforce credentials for opportunities, growth, and development.

Disclaimer: The information in these materials should not be considered legal, accounting, or investment advice, and it should not substitute for legal, accounting, investment, and other professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. It is provided for informational purposes only. If you require legal, accounting, or investment advice, or need other professional assistance, you should always consult your attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor to discuss your particular facts, circumstances, business, personal finance, and investment needs.