The spread of the COVID-19 has forever impacted the world, various companies and most of all, the recruiting process. Many businesses have switched from in-person interviews at their office to video interviews hosted at their kitchen table. This begs the question: how do we get across to candidates that our company culture and perks are more worthwhile than another company’s?

1. Get creative. We have to switch our usual recruiting tactics because we’re facing unusual times. You can change a lot but a small update can make all the difference. Instead of sticking to the tried and true “Hi [name], are you in the job market?” ask if they’re open to “exciting new opportunities”. Always keep the door open even if they’re not! Also, there’s the opportunity to be more agile and adaptive. If your candidates will respond quicker to a text than an email or call, try it out!
2. Give examples. Candidates love to hear about real work scenarios especially ones relating to how your company will treat them. If you know a candidate that you’ve hired has enjoyed anything specific about a client, use it as an example in discussing why the environment is worth applying to. It pays to be transparent about expectations because overselling may lead to under delivering!
3. Show interest. A recruiter that genuinely cares about their candidates will always have the upper hand. Try seeing if there’s anything on the candidate’s resume that stands out and ask them about it –maybe they were a member of a sorority or fraternity that you may know something about, or they may have mentioned that they enjoy music or fishing (it’s more common to add that to a resume than you may think!). It helps to remember that on both sides of a conversation is a person, so treat them like one.

What are some of your staffing tips for the pandemic?