Virtual Hiring: Will It Continue To Work In The Future.

In our post-pandemic predictions report, we predicted that what worked online will continue to work online. Virtual processes are here to stay and are likely to become the de facto standard in the near future. Many of us expected to work from home on a trial basis at first, but as time goes on, an increasing number of companies are rethinking their work-from-home policy. Working from home for so long has definitely given you a wealth of knowledge, but how can you prepare your company for long-term remote work?

Interrogation Over The Internet:

Organizations can save money and time by using virtual interviewing.

Suddenly, organizations all across the world were compelled to rethink their recruitment tactics. We explored how organizations shared little to no information on the virtual recruitment experience in our post-pandemic predictions report.

Virtual interviewing will benefit businesses in terms of cost and time savings, as well as the improved ease with which they can interview candidates from other countries. Virtual interviews will improve the application experience even more by providing for greater flexibility in scheduling and requiring less travel and time commitment.

Virtual Interviewing Process:

Despite the many advantages of virtual interviewing, a long-term virtual interview process is not without challenges. Virtual interviews present several challenges, including the requirement for a digital setup that may not be available to all candidates and a diminished capacity to read context and social indicators as effectively as in a face-to-face interview. Furthermore, virtual interviews are typically shorter than face-to-face interviews. So, how can companies get ready for a long virtual interview process?

Ms. Mariana Joseph from Techfetch RPO (https://rpo.techfetch.com/), the US-based recruitment process outsourcing company expert shares her views on the recent trends in this

“The bulk of businesses have taken one of two approaches. The first is to include more people in the interview process, and the second is to put a larger focus on preparation. Involving other people in the interview process, such as through a second interview, can help with decision-making. The impressions and conclusions from the interviews can be discussed and evaluated in a group setting. Recruiters have also invested more time and resources in training hiring managers and applicants for online interviews.”

Orientation From Afar:

Overnight, adjustments to the interview process resulted in changes to the onboarding process. Many firms adopted remote onboarding with the purpose of preserving, if not improving, the new starting experience, according to the analysis on post-pandemic forecasts. Many of them have even reported an increase in new hire satisfaction, claiming that during these extraordinary periods of social adjustment, new recruits felt an overwhelming sense of team and togetherness. However, given that remote onboarding is a reality, what is crucial in onboarding processes?

The Home Office:

Many companies have chosen to send crucial equipment to employees by courier, while others have set aside funds for new hires to purchase the items they need to set up a home office. Several companies have also given their employees care packages as a way of welcoming new employees and encouraging employee engagement.

Defining Performance Benchmarks

It’s natural for new employees to acclimatize and get up to speed more slowly if they don’t have access to cross-desk discussions, the ability to deliver a quick demonstration, or the opportunity to ask a question in the corridor. Establishing several pre-start touchpoints, emphasizing accessible support, and adapting and explaining performance targets are all crucial.

Opportunities For Social Interaction:

The first few weeks in a new job are often a whirlwind of new information and perceptions. It’s easy for your new hire to become overwhelmed if there aren’t any watercooler breaks to break things up. The onboarding process can be made easier and more effective by ensuring that educational meetings and tutorials are mixed with social engagement and introductions.

Internet Collaboration And Communication:

Collaboration systems such as Zoom, Office365, Teams, Yammer, and Workplace have seen tremendous expansion across all industries. Collaboration has shifted to digital platforms as employees get disengaged from face-to-face and office relationships.

While many businesses have seen an increase in productivity, it is challenging to maintain team engagement and cooperation without being able to see each other in the workplace, especially over time. It’s easy to lose track of context or social cues when working together online, and brainstorming and debating with a large number of people on a single call can be difficult.

To avoid social isolation, it’s also vital to encourage regular check-ins and social contacts. In our post-pandemic predictions report, a number of organizations reported an increase in the frequency of internal communications, indicating that this improved communication allows transparency across the company and connectivity between organizations and their staff.

The enhanced emphasis on staff engagement and motivation has been maintained primarily through regular managerial catch-ups with direct reports.

What Has Worked In The Past Will Continue To Work In The Future:

What worked online in the past will continue to work online in the future, but with an uncertain year ahead, it will be interesting to observe how businesses and sectors adapt to change. Many operations are likely to benefit from a combination of online and face-to-face encounters, whether people return to the office permanently or continue to work from home indefinitely. Interviewing, onboarding, and teamwork, for example, but also, most likely, employee physical and mental wellness programs. Read More