The Virtue of Virtual Recruiting in the Coronavirus Era

in this scary time when coronavirus is threatening all of us, virtual work and recruiting are quickly becoming the required way to recruit and work.

Microsoft, Amazon and many other organizations are now requiring video interviews. No more flying people in and having face-to-face interviews.

And for some companies are requiring all employees, including recruiters to work from home. Twitter, Google and many other Silicon Valley firms have told employees to stay home if their work allows.

For those who have always worked from home, who get up, flip open their computer and begin to call candidates or do research this is what they have been waiting for.

Their idea of success is not about putting in a certain amount of time. Rather their success is defined as achieving their goals, connecting with candidates whenever convenient and at whatever time is good for the candidate.

For those recruiters who have always worked from within an organization, this will be a hard transition. Hiring managers will also struggle with accepting that they may not actually physically see a candidate before making an offer. So many of us are conditioned to believe that a physical presence is essential to getting things done.

We will need to learn to adopt new tools and adapt to a virtual lifestyle. Here are a few ideas on how to succeed in a virtual recruitment world.

#1. Embrace technology - there is no choice

The explosion of tools, apps, and networks has already eroded any of the need for physical office space. While we are social creatures and there is a need for and a reason for face-to-face interaction, much of that interaction can be done virtually. Video interviewing tools such as Hirevue or Modern Hire (formerly Montage/Shaker) along with video conferencing, Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts and a host of other tools are making it cheap and easy to connect with anyone anywhere.

What is lacking is not the ability to connect virtually; it is the lack of skill in doing so. We have all perfected the nuances of face-to-face communication. We know how to act in meetings and how to respond verbally or with body language. This is all harder to do virtually. We have to learn new skills

#2. Many of your candidates expect a virtual experience

Expectations have changed and while most Boomers and Gen X are content and comfortable coming to an office for an interview or to work, many younger generations are not. Many expect or are certainly not fazed by chatbots, video interviews, or online assessments. It is a shame that we are not using more of the many tools that allow for a positive virtual experience. This virus will accelerate the adoption of these tools.

#3. Virtual helps you make better choices

The A.I. tools that now exist, from chatbots to virtual assessments to video interviewing, offer you more data and insight into candidates than ever before. By going virtual you can capture useful data on where candaides come from, what they responded to and what they did not respond to, how quickly they made a decision, and much more. You can use online assessment tools to look at skills, measure general ability, and get a snapshot of their personality. All of this helps you compare candidates more objectively and better match candidates to hiring managers.

The only barriers to virtual recruiting are our own mindsets and habits. The VR stars have aligned albeit unfortunately because of a virus.

As Elon Musk says, “You’re already digitally superhuman.” You just have to make it real.

The Value of the Virtual Recruiter | ContractRecruiter

Saving time and money are just a few of the benefits of using a virtual recruiter. Learn how outsourcing to a virtual recruiter could help your business.

Why a Virtual Recruiting Model? | Nestlé Purina Careers

The rise of virtual recruiting …and how to do it right.

As large corporations reevaluate the costs of campus recruiting and try to discover more effective ways to connect with potential millennial talent, virtual recruiting is on the rise. Cutting out…

Virtual Recruitment Strategies | Monster.com

Virtual recruitment includes the use of video and chat to conduct in-person meetings over long distances. Learn about virtual recruitment strategies and more at Monster.com.

Should Virtual Career Fairs Be Part of Your Recruiting Strategy? - Modern Hire

Could virtual career fairs bring a stream of qualified candidates into your hiring process? Read to learn more about how they can benefit your organization.

About This Newsletter

Hand curated articles, videos, podcasts, and other media on the future of work, talent, recruitment, and learning. If you find this useful, please share on Twitter. You can always reach me at kwheeler@futureoftalent.org.

Follow me on Twitter @kwheeler. If you like this, you might like to read my other articles and visit www.futureoftalent.org for more ideas and white papers.

Contact me at kwheeler@futureoftalent.org if you’d like to inquire about having me speak at an event or to your team.

To subscribe, send your friends this link: http://newsletters.futureoftalent.org/

If you don’t want these updates anymore, please unsubscribe here