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Tips for Hiring During a Pandemic

Recruitment process

While most companies have spent years developing tried and true hiring methods, hiring during a pandemic has presented some unique challenges. For example, walk-in applicants and multiple, in-person hiring interviews have all but become a thing of the past…at least for now. The priority in hiring, and in day-to-day operations, is focused on the safety of both patients and staff. ...

The question is, how can you be sure you are getting the right person to fill your open position if you can't take all the hiring steps you've taken in the past? How do you keep your existing staff healthy and safe, yet still be able to conduct job interviews with multiple applicants? The answer is you must be willing to adapt. You must be willing to change with the times. You must be willing to rework your hiring procedure so you can get the same results, yet in a different way.

The following tips can help you streamline your hiring process during a pandemic.

Do Your Prep Work Ahead of Time

First things first, you will need to do your prep work ahead of time. What this means is you'll need to know exactly what type of person you want to hire, what duties you expect them to be able to perform, what salary/income range your company would consider, whether the position has tele-commuting possibilities, if it's a short or long-term position, if you're looking to hire immediately or delay start time, and more.

You are also going to need to make sure you have all required safety protocols in place. Many job seekers want to know what actions employers are taking and whether Covid-19 safety protocols are being taken. You will need to be prepared to share your plans and show job applicants the safe working environment you have set up. Each of these actions should be taken before you even begin the hiring process.

Resume Review Is More Important Than Ever

During a pandemic, resume review is more important than ever. This is because you will likely need to figure out if a job applicant has the qualifications you require without being able to meet them in person. Therefore, if you or your hiring manager used to simply gloss over a resume, you may want to reconsider your methods.

You cannot afford to waste your time or the time of your potential employees. In addition, you aren't going to want to bring in more people for final, in-person interviews than you need to, for health and safety precautions. So, when you do bring a job applicant in for an in-person or working interview, it will be because you are pretty sure the individual would be an ideal match. This is where the resume comes in to play.

You might want to check out the job applicant's social media accounts as well. Social screenings like this can often give an employer a good insight into an individual's personality, whether he or she is professional, how much information the person tends to share and more.

We not only thoroughly review applicant resumes ahead of time, we also conduct a pre-qualification interview to help determine whether the individual meets our client's exact needs and would be a good fit for their company. This way, when the job seeker's information is sent to them, they know the applicant has been checked out ahead of time and is ready to be interviewed.

Start by Conducting a Virtual Interview

Initial interviews with a job applicant should be done virtually. Conducting an in-person interview right off the bat is going to be a waste of your time. In addition, many applicants may not be open to in-person interviews during a pandemic until they have received an offer and are pretty much sold on the position you have available.  

After reviewing a job applicant's resume, the next step would be to conduct a virtual interview. Virtual, or video, interviews are not new. Some companies have been conducting video interviews for years. In actual fact, it's a great way to streamline your interview process and help HR determine whether it's worth having a candidate come in for an on-site interview.

You can arrange to “meet” the applicant and conduct your virtual interview via Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, Facebook Live or any other online video conferencing platform.

Use an Applicant's References to Help You Make a Final Decision

If you haven't done so already, take the time to reach out to the individual's references. Doing so can help you make a final decision. References, especially those from people who have worked with the job seeker in the past, will often give you unique insight into how the person performs tasks, whether he or she works well with others, professionalism, communication abilities and specific skills not previously mentioned.

Emphasize What You Can Offer

Now that you've reached this point in the hiring process and have pretty much determined you're interested in hiring the job applicant, you are going to need to go in for the final close. The easiest way to do this is to emphasize what you can offer.

Let the person know not only what you are able to offer them financially, regarding continuing education and mentoring capabilities, work schedule, future advancement, etc. but also what pandemic actions you have in place to protect their health and well-being. Employees need to know they are important in your eyes. Sharing your pandemic procedures and plans can help set their minds at ease.  

Time to Dot the I's and Cross the T's

Most job applicants, and employers, will want to conduct one final interview on-site before an offer is either made and/or accepted. This is completely fine to do…even in a pandemic. Having done all the steps in the hiring process up to this point, you're pretty much just crossing your t's and dotting your I's by having the person come in for a final interview.

Then, once your final interview is conducted and the offer is accepted, you'll be able to finalize a start date and have your position filled.

In all honesty, hiring during a pandemic does not have to be much different than hiring at any other time. The main difference involves doing your homework ahead of time and conducting initial interviews online. Other than that, as long as required safety protocols are in place, you're good to go.

For the past two decades, The People Link has been dedicated to helping companies fulfill their hiring needs. Our focus is on finding qualified applicants to fill open positions, in both the Dental and Allied Healthcare industries, to the benefit of all. Our success rate is extremely high and we look forward to doing what we can to help get your positions filled.

To inquire about our employer services and how we can help you with your hiring needs, visit The People Link online or call Mya directly at 818-890-9998.

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