As the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, we’re feeling the impact in our day-to-day professional lives. As Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases stated, “Schools could be closed, mass public gatherings suspended and businesses forced to have employees work remotely.” In addition, recruiting and networking are forced to change rapidly to meet this shifting landscape. Businesses still need to fill reqs, and in order to do that, a digital solution is required.
Let’s first identify a few of the challenges:
Your business’s first impressions online may not match your in-person presentation
Candidates are forced to come to you online, and that’s their first impression of you. If you rely exclusively on job fairs, career fairs, and in-person networking events, you may not be optimized to connect with candidates online. You might not even have a place to meet and contact them or know where to look.
You’ve been forced to cancel in-person interviews
Are you used to connecting over lunch, coffee or in-person interviews with potential candidates? With companies closing their doors and even asking employees to work from home, this may mean you get a lot less face time and ability to interact and get a feel for people you’re interested in hiring.
Your entire business model of recruitment involves meeting people in person
Events are your bread and butter, and now, you are left without the ability to connect in person. You’ve got supply closets full of swag and no one to share it with. Worse, you’ve got a list of reqs to fill, and you’re struggling to connect with the right people to fill those roles.
Do any of these sound familiar? We’ve got solutions for you:
Gen Z has spoken—and they’re ready to meet you online
Tallo’s Gen Z survey provided a lot of insight into how Generation Z wants to be recruited, and overwhelmingly, they respond to digital recruitment strategies. This means if your company hasn’t already, you should be prioritizing your digital space to put the best foot forward with the next generation of employees. Events should be seen as an extension of your brand, not the sole representation of it, and if you’re forced to stay home from big recruitment opportunities, take time to ensure that your digital space is optimized and that you’re utilizing the right tech—like Tallo—to meet people online.
Efficiency is key to interviews—and digital interviews allow you to act faster and meet more candidates
Create an efficient, effective interview strategy and be ready to act fast. Taking your interviews online is simple and effective. It saves your company the cost of attending job fairs and saves candidates time by avoiding travel to the office. Plus, video conferencing tools have become a dime a dozen these days—inexpensive and easy to use.
With a strong interview plan and the right tools, you’ll be able to interview more candidates in less time, speed up the hiring process, and avoid losing your favorite candidates because of long wait times. And what about the interviews that require involvement from multiple people or departments? Taking interviews online removes the headache of juggling schedules and being at the same place at the same time.
Embrace the changes and create a new recruitment process and plan
Listen, you don’t need a handshake to find the best talent around. There are digital platforms like Tallo ready to bridge this gap for your company. You can:
- Host virtual career fairs
When it comes to your hiring events, like career fairs, why not meet the next generation of talent where they’re at—on their phones? Members of Generation Z spend an average of 10+ hours a day on their digital devices, including their smartphones. Platforms like CareerEco host cloud recruiting events for companies with potential employers.
- Keep your connections online
Tallo offers one-on-one messaging solutions to make meaningful connections without being physically present. Students shouldn’t have to compromise their own safety to connect with opportunities, and they’re waiting to hear from you— even if you don’t have any immediate opportunities for them! In fact, in a recent survey we found that 96% of Gen Zers feel it is important to establish connections with employers even if they don’t have an immediate job opening.
- Facilitate interviews online
As more and more companies encourage their employees to work from home, they’re getting creative with techniques for working remotely and staying connected. We make it easy to sort through the initial round of candidates, check their profiles for past experience, skills, or relevant classes. Other companies, like Google, are offering updated service packages that allow users to record meetings, use advanced videoconferencing capabilities and more. For a limited time, all G Suite customers have the ability to utilize these features for any connection needs — like to interview job candidates — free of charge.
- Outsource some of your recruitment and communication needs
The CDC has a long list of recommendations for how employers can protect their workforce, with everything from encouraging sick employees to stay home to keeping the office clean and disinfected. It’s not always easy to think about future employees when you’re concerned about protecting your existing ones. Let Tallo help with some of that. With services like Tallo Assist, our team of experts can work with you to identify your connection needs, find the right audience, and craft the messaging to reach them. We’re equipped to do this lift for you while you focus on the rest.
- Showcase your company and opportunities online
While students may not be walking up to your table at a large recruiting event anytime soon, that doesn’t mean they can’t discover who you are and what you’re about. If you’re not making a first impression in person, think about how you can online. Updating your company profile on Tallo allows students to learn more about what types of opportunities you offer. Showcasing company culture on social media can give followers a sense of what it would be like to work for you. And showcasing company updates during a webinar or online posting keeps your communication channels open, while keeping everyone safe and comfortable.
As you’re navigating this new recruitment landscape, it’s important to remember two things: 1. Your future employees are ready to meet you online, and 2. You don’t have to do it alone. There are companies like Tallo ready to help you optimize your digital recruitment and fill your open roles.