Firstly, looking after the welfare of our clients and our candidates/workers is our primary concern. We understand that most our customers now have a working from home (WFH) policy in force. Thankfully in the main, Cloud Technology has made this possible, whereas in days gone by, VPN and dial in technology did not always create a fluid remote working environment and certainly not a collaborative one.
As travel restrictions and social curbs ramp up across the UK and the world, we are all left asking; what now?
As a business owner my duty is to the business, the operations, the on-going projects and the staff that it employs to ensure it remains a going concern. Yes, these are unprecedented times and in my 25 years in business I have never seen such dramatic actions taken by governments and businesses across the world. I do think we need to keep calm heads, think, analyse and make decision based on fact, rather than fake news. But, also to think in parallel about the “art of the possible” and how a difference can be made in these uncertain times.
Which leads me to my thoughts about recruitment during a pandemic. There are several facts that exist today, that will add huge benefit to those who bear them in mind, some of which I have listed below:
Facts & Benefits
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Facts |
Benefits |
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Many candidates are working from home and therefore can be readily available for interview or screening. |
A wider audience to hire from, wider than normal with a speedy response. |
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Video Interview platforms are readily available – WhatsApp, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, etc. |
This method speeds up the recruitment process, enables you to “physically e-meet” the candidate and interview fully without putting health at risk. |
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Most candidates have notice periods. |
Candidates can complete the recruitment process and hand in their notice throughout the Coronavirus outbreak, then be ready to start in time for “normality” to start or work remotely. |
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Tech Teams are used to working remotely. |
Most Technology Teams & Contractors are used to working remotely, so why not take advantage of these skills to support your IT projects. |
What advice is there for Video interviewing and hiring?
Advice for Interviewers |
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Be prepared — Familiarise yourself and other interviewers with the candidate’s CV and the job description to give the virtual interview the formality of an in-person one. Likewise, keep the candidate informed on who will be performing the interview, so they can prepare questions of their own. And, of course, check your tech. Have a strategy — Think carefully about the skills and attributes you’re looking for in a candidate and design questions that dig into each one. Communicate openly — Keep candidates well-informed at each stage of the interview process. Without being able to give them a warm, in-person reception, it’s especially important to show them their time and efforts are valued. Remove distractions — Be respectful to the candidate and position yourself away from distractions, including your smartphone, as you would in an in-person interview. Reinforce employer brand — Ensure interviewers at all stages of the recruitment process convey a consistent message about the company’s mission and values. Give the candidate time — Pause to ensure the candidate is done with their response, before moving onto the next question to account for time lags and lack of usual social cues. |
Candidate Advice |
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Test your tech — Make sure your internet connection and video conferencing program are both working well prior to your interview. Ensure you know the tool the interviewer will be using in advance, download and test. Dress appropriately — professional or relevant dress is no less important for remote interviews. Dress like you would for an in-person interview, and ensure your surroundings are presentable. Be prepared — Research and prepare as you would for any other interview, rehearsing your responses to key questions and preparing your own questions for the interviewer. Be personable — Keep eye-contact, smile often and generally engage with the interviewer to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role. Remove distractions — Ensure you’re fully engaged with the interviewer by removing all distractions, including your smartphone. Follow-up — Send a follow-up note to your interviewer, thanking them for their time. |
What about contractors?
Those companies who do need to hire flexible workers (contractors) can benefit from the current climate, as there is currently a huge amount of available skills in the IT sector. As the 2019 REC Report identifies:
According to official figures, there were over 1.4 million temporary employees in the UK in May–July 2019, accounting for just over 5 per cent of all employees. REC data shows that, on average, there were over 1 million temporary agency and contract workers on assignment on any given day across the financial year 2017/18. There were 1.65 million temporary agency and contract workers on the broader recruitment industry’s payroll in the same period.
These workers can be interviewed, onboarded and working with no need to put anyone’s health at risk, let alone BAU or Project based activities. Whether inside or outside of IR35. (At time of posting it has just been announced that Off-Payroll Working Regulations (IR35) has been postponed until April 2021)
For more information on how we at Vertex can support your recruitment needs please complete the form below and we will be in-touch,
Many thanks for reading and please be safe.