5 steps for effective recruitment and onboarding in 2021
The question many HR leaders are currently asking is: How do you create a positive candidate experience in the new normal? So much has changed over the last year, yet the challenge of recruiting and onboarding the best candidates remains, even as most (if not all) of this process is now completed remotely in many cases. So what is the secret to success?
As businesses have made the shift from predominantly face-to-face recruitment processes to more virtual interactions, many have found the change to be extremely effective. The breadth of technology now available – for example, cloud platforms, AI-powered analytics and streamlined automation – makes it even more likely that online recruitment and digital onboarding will become the preferred approach, even after pandemic restrictions have been removed.
So what are the companies having the most success with remote recruitment doing differently? At Access, we work with HR leaders across multiple sectors and businesses, and we’ve discussed multiple approaches with them. Of course, each business has its own unique way of doing things, however, we also found the following 5 approaches usually prove advantageous.
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Cast your net more widely
One of the key impacts of the widescale move to remote working is that many new candidates now expect to operate like this once in post. That means from a business perspective, your potential recruitment pool no longer has to be limited by local or national boundaries. Having successfully proved that remote working is effective for certain roles, you should now cast your net far more widely than before when looking for new talent. And at the same time, candidates who previously would not have considered your business as a potential employer can now do so if you are actively advertising remote roles. All of this opens up an entirely new world of qualified people for you to consider. And don’t forget to also look for talent via virtual job fairs and on social media. -
Maximise new assessment tools available with digital interviews
Obviously, digital interviews are easier to schedule as there’s no travel involved; and with video conferencing now widely accepted, the interaction can still be personalised and enable both parties to ‘connect’. However, the unexpected (but very useful) additional benefit that many HR leaders forget is that a virtual interview can be recorded and then shared amongst others as part of the selection process. Clearly, the candidate does need to provide a formal agreement for this and be clear about how their data will be used. By sharing digital interviews as well as online application data, more internal managers and stakeholders can be included and offer their input – further enhancing the selection process. -
Be creative about onboarding and employee engagement
Onboarding, induction, training and introducing new employees to your company culture are all elements that were usually completed in person before the pandemic. Now, not only are candidates recruited virtually, their onboarding and engagement must also be done remotely too. This is a key area where it pays to think creatively. Interactions that are crucial for new starters such as coaching, focus groups, coffee chats and one-on-one meetings can all be done online. It’s also useful to offer ongoing communication opportunities such as chat and online video platforms so that new employees don’t feel isolated. Even internal social media tools can be useful for engagement – perhaps by encouraging all staff as well as new employees to interact so that they can get know colleagues at a more personal level. e.g. sharing photos of their pets or hobbies.
It’s also useful to consider a ‘buddy’ system when onboarding new employees to maintain the human connection and a sense of camaraderie. This also gives your new remote worker a specific contact they can reach out to when their line manager is not available.
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Don’t forget to review and update your benefits package
It’s important not to underestimate the importance of the whole package when recruiting talent – and that hasn’t changed. But bear in mind that some benefits previously offered may not be relevant now. For example, discounted services close to the office such as gym membership won’t be attractive for those intending to work remotely on a permanent basis. Travel subsidies are another example. HR needs to think proactively about the benefits that might better fit ongoing needs – such as equipment for a home office or health insurance. -
Make sure you have the right tools in place
Having already done much of the hard work involved in making recruitment and onboarding a virtual experience – now is also the ideal time to streamline and upgrade your HR software. This enables all your HR functional and administrative activity to dovetail into an overall digital approach and has numerous added benefits including simplifying and transforming lengthy administrative HR tasks, streamlining processes, improving efficiency and accelerating time to hire.
Access already offers proven solutions which make life easier for HR professionals. Why not contact us to discuss your requirements and arrange for a demo of our new CoreXD platform?
