Reimagining Talent Acquisition Strategies Post-COVID-19

For businesses, difficulties due to crisis situations – World War II, 9/11, among others – have all turned into opportunities to hire great talent. Why? These events have opened up windows of availability and need for excellent talent.

As businesses seek ways to bounce back fast, a key aspect of this is talent acquisition strategies. So how should organizations rethink, remodel and revamp their talent acquisition strategies, and processes post a crisis?

I will share some actionable best practices that can help businesses and enterprises significantly better recruitment in the pandemic & post-pandemic phase.

Recognize the real needs – a key part of talent acquisition strategy

The pandemic has changed a lot for businesses, including talent needs. For instance, rapid digitalization due to processes shifting online has increased the need for digital skills. Flexibility and agility have become key factors; workers who can adapt, learn fast, and perform have an edge over those who don’t possess these skills. 

Organizations that would be able to recognize these and other such talent needs changes, and make them a part of their talent strategy would come out stronger, faster. Here are some ways:

• Conduct continuous analysis of future talent needs and keep evaluating the best candidates. Predict the company’s talent needs, periodically. 
• Get specific about the job role and skills needs while aligning them to the goals of the company.
• Take a long-term approach in hiring. A company may take months and years to get back in shape after a crisis, depending on how hard it is hit by it.

Employer branding is the secret sauce

Before you begin hiring, work on your employer brand and reputation. Every company strives to take an “employee-first” approach, but few are able to integrate it into their company culture. 

“Employer branding is set to become one of the most critical investments in a company’s arsenal.” With unemployment at an all time high and businesses fighting for the best talent, it is essential to:

• Attract the right talent
• Retain great talent 
• Create deeper employee engagement  

Keep the background check rigor going

Thanks to technology, businesses can replicate, most, if not all the traditional hiring processes in remote and virtual settings. From interviews to e-meetings to face-to-face video meetings and background checking – virtual processes have not only kept work going, they’re here for good.

E.g. We, at Factsuite did so with our self-address verification app – iVerify, which is a no-contact solution for candidates to verify address by self and submit details through the app. Technology, indeed, can be the key to re/building back business and should be made an essential part of the talent acquisition strategy.

Think out of the boundaries

The possibilities of technology and a new wave of thinking brought or forced by the pandemic – remote can work well. For businesses that are flexible, agile, inclusive and open, this points to an increased access to good talent pools across the globe. Hire without the expectation of relocating. What was once an alien idea for many organizations is today a key to hiring exceptional global talent. 

Elevate and empower existing employees

Another aspect of “thinking outside of boundaries” is elevating and empowering lower level managers/employees to unlock new potential. Re-skill, up-skill, train and let them learn on the job. Organizations that are able to identify potential in their existing workforce will have a running start.

Compassion, kindness, understanding and empathy

Above all, leaders and organizations that demonstrate compassion, kindness, understanding and empathy, can help refocus their workforce away from the worries and trauma caused by the pandemic and towards an accelerated bounce-back. Some ways of doing so:

• Have open discussions with your employees
• Consider everyone’s perspective and predictions of the pandemic 
• Reconnect employees with the shared values of your organizational culture and purpose
•  Make everyone part of reimagining their post-crisis organization

Many organizations are currently struggling with talent management. Recognizing the real talent needs of the organization, giving special attention to the company’s employer branding, running thorough background checks and elevating the existing talent can help create great value in reimagining talent acquisition strategies to fight the effects of the pandemic. It’s a time to nurture that value and make the most of it.