Your Hiring Strategy Following a Crisis

Hiring, productivity and retention are always challenging. During this time of pandemic and recession, hiring employees is becoming even more difficult. In these uncertain times, your company must reassess your existing human resources and determine what business opportunities exist in the current climate to assess your hiring needs to remain competitive.   

Virtual Hiring  

COVID-19 mandates have made hiring employees challenging. However, you can continue to hire employees while adhering to social distancing guidelines. Consider hosting virtual open houses and job fairs that allow prospective employees to video conference with hiring managers. You can even give virtual office tours and hold Q&As with team members. Phone interviews and video interviews are also practical tools for hiring during these days of social distancing. Prioritize your hiring needs based on necessity, function, work arrangement and location. Candidates with experience in working in virtual environments will assimilate faster, so look for potential hires who are familiar with virtual business platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Asana and Trello, among others.   

Give Furloughed Employees a Call  

Your returning furloughed employees are going to have many questions understandably. You must explain all of the facts and reassure them about what has changed and what has not changed. Explain any changes to their employment terms, such as a reduction in their work hours or salary cut. They will have questions regarding benefits, such as PTO and sick leave. Educate your furloughed employees about the new safety procedures your company is using, such as handwashing, disinfection of surfaces, social distancing, reduced customer capacity, staggered shifts, and any possible industry-specific requirements. Finally, reassure your furloughed workers. Try to ease their anxiety and address their questions and concerns.   

Spread the Word  

Potential employees must be aware of the safety measures you have in place as a result of the pandemic. Provide the necessary facts and explain what you are doing to keep your people safe. Remember that some employees will be at a higher risk than others. Discuss the specific policies you are implementing to minimize face-to-face contact among your workers. Provide information concerning routine preventative measures such as handwashing and personal protective equipment (PPE). Be sure that you publicize this information on social media, your company blog and within your job descriptions.   

Protect Your Employees  

If a job candidate has concerns about the safety of your workplace, they will probably look elsewhere. Your workplace must meet guidelines for their safety. Monitor the current situation with factual information from trusted health agencies, and then communicate your workplace safety policies to your team members. If a member of your organization is sick, encourage the employee to stay home. If possible, offer flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, flexible schedules, and staggered schedules to help prevent the spread of disease. Choose teleconferences and electronic mail over face-to-face meetings.  

Are You Seeking a Temporary Employee or a Permanent Hire? 

 If so, check out what SIS can do for your organization. SIS is a professional staffing agency that can help your company meet production deadlines and operate efficiently. Spend a lesser amount of time finding and hiring talent and call SIS.  

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