The Covid 19 pandemic has drastically changed life as we know it. Employers can no longer rely on traditional methods to occupy vacant positions in their workplaces. Walk-in interviews have now been replaced with virtual interviews and job postings have changed to a more targeted communication to include a large pool of candidates. Companies must review hiring needs frequently to align themselves with the changing times.

The demand for workers is a dilemma qualified by a recent Bureau of Labour Statistics that the number of job openings worldwide was 10.9 million while hiring remained stagnant at 6.5 and 4.5 million respectively. This goes to show a huge gap between finding the best talent and placing it in its rightful environment. The iHire 2021 online recruiting report showed that companies are struggling to identify and hire talent which explains the stagnant hiring percentage.

The best way to tackle this challenge is to begin thinking about your company’s hiring needs. Here are some steps to consider:

●      Build out a budget around the number of open positions that need to be filled. Setting out a clear budget for your company’s needs does not only save the employer money but also helps avoid unnecessary expenses that would’ve been made.

●      Meet with your recruitment partners and discuss hiring needs. A Harvard Business Review states that traditional tracking systems (ATS) use proxies for basic attributes, failure to meet the criteria results in the exclusion of candidates in the recruiting process. So, to avoid losing candidates employers can adjust their hiring processes and ATS.

●      Shore up your brand before launching your recruitment plan. Identify your firm’s unique selling proposition including what makes you different and why your next hire would want to join. This can be achieved using social media which allows the engagement of candidates and employers and lets them know more about your brand.

●      Regularly improve candidate experience. Negative candidate experience can reflect a poor employer brand. It is of great value as an employer to provide a platform to engage your candidates throughout the hiring process. Preview the job and company culture for candidates by giving as much information about the company history, culture, workplace environment, teamwork expectations and values.

As we slowly adapt to the new era of recruitment and hiring, finding talent is going to be challenging. However, to attract and maintain top talent job security, corporate responsibility and your brand values must come across stronger throughout the hiring process. These attributes give satisfaction to the competing candidate and give them a reason as to why they should choose your company.