Resource Center
By iCIMS In response to the lockdown measures of 2020, virtual recruitment went from "nice to have" to "need to have"
seemingly overnight. As talent teams use innovative recruitment software to transform the ad hoc solutions
of 2020 into long-term strategies for the future, they are paying particular attention to virtual
recruitment for several reasons:
Considering how successfully the HR industry collectively rose to the challenge of quickly adapting a
process that depends on human interaction to one that works in a virtual environment, there is no doubt that
HR can achieve much more in this area when it has more time to plan. By understanding and anticipating areas
of opportunity, HR can stay ahead of challenges related to virtual recruitment and successfully develop and
implement effective virtual hiring practices. CHALLENGE: It's tough to stay compliant when business and legal requirements vary from state to state (or
country to country).
CHALLENGE: Social distancing makes it more challenging to engage candidates who have higher expectations
for virtual interactions.
CHALLENGE: Without in-person validation, the dreaded "application black hole" feels even more isolating. CHALLENGE: The lack of in-person meetings makes it harder for recruiters to screen for emerging (and
important) skillsets. CHALLENGE: When they can't experience a company's culture in person, candidates struggle to know if it is a
good fit for them.
CHALLENGE: Poorly timed offer letters can cause companies to miss out on talent in competitive markets.
With social distancing still the current norm and remote work predicted to remain widespread in the
postpandemic workplace, companies have no choice but to innovate new recruitment strategies. Thanks to new
technologies, virtual recruitment is one very powerful option for meeting that need. It does bring some
interesting challenges to the table—but nothing that recruiters armed with careful planning can't handle.
1 Adam Ozimek. 2020. "Economist Report: Future Workforce." Upwork website, December, www.upwork.com/press/releases/economist-report-future-workforce.
2 Hired. 2020. "State of Remote Work Report: Unlocking Opportunity." Hired website, April 28, hired.com/blog/highlights/2020-state-of-remote-work-report/.
3 iCIMS Insights. 2020. "Monthly Snapshot Report." iCIMS website, December, icims.drift.click/December_Insights.
3 Insights Team. 2020. "Video Meetings: The Default Setting For Business Communications."
Forbesonline, January 8, www.forbes.com/sites/insights-zoom/2020/01/08/video-meetings-the-default-setting-for-business-communications.
Jessica Miller-Merrell is a workplace change agent focused on human resources and talent acquisition.
She's also the founder of Workology (formerly
Blogging4Jobs) and can be contacted on Twitter at
@jmillermerrell.
How to Stay Ahead of Challenges to Virtual Recruitment
In light of these and other similar trends, now is the perfect time for HR to pause, reflect, and strategize on
what's next for virtual recruitment.
SOLUTION: Implement one system for viewing robust analytics from multiple recruitment tools.
The key to quickly and efficiently compiling reports to meet widely differing requirements is to access
information from across the entire HR tech stack. A platform that integrates all of the organization's
recruitment software solutions (such as tools for video interviewing and onboarding) provides transparency
into the full talent life cycle, thus yielding flexible and straightforward reporting.
SOLUTION: Secure high-performing hires by using engaging and scalable outreach throughout the hiring
process.
To create high-touch experiences, most modern career sites now have recruitment chatbots, smart
applications that automatically respond to FAQs in order to keep curious career-site visitors informed and
interested. Allowing candidates to self-schedule interviews and using text messages for communication with
potential hires can also help companies meet modern expectations for engagement. By freeing up recruiter
time earlier in the hiring process, organizations not only reach more talent with no added effort but also
gain more time for meaningful relationship-building.
SOLUTION: Check in regularly with candidates (but use methods that don't incur extra work on the recruiter's
end).
The speed of an organization's outreach can make the difference between an anxious applicant and a promising
prospect. Timely responses are especially important when different time zones (and related communication
delays) are involved. Text-based recruitment software is one great solution that allows recruiters to
automate updates and easily send reminders and answer questions. This responsiveness shows candidates that
companies value their time and therefore increases applicants' engagement.
SOLUTION: Use video to get to know applicants.
The past year has forced everyone to develop new soft skills, especially in areas such as social influence,
resilience, active learning, and stress tolerance—all of which can be considered when making a new hire.
Each role has certain baseline of requirements, but employers also want to know how a new hire's abilities
complement the skills their prospective team already has. With modern functionality that makes it easier to
create a more structured interview process, improve feedback and reporting, and operate within an
organization's ATS workflow, video interviews can play a crucial role in obtaining vital information about
candidates.
SOLUTION: Use video to show off the organization.
Video is useful not just for helping organizations assess candidates but also for helping candidates assess
organizations. For example, live conversations with a diverse panel of current staff during the screening
process can help applicants see multiple aspects of the company; prerecorded employee profiles posted on the
organization's career site can also fill that function.
SOLUTION: Create a formalized offer process that kicks off as soon as a verbal offer is made.
Automated offer management gives companies a competitive edge and enables them to maintain the personalized
feel of their recruitment and hiring. A library of preapproved language (with location-specific terms and
clauses) and e-signature capability can streamline the offer process and increase a company's chance of
getting a yes from a desirable candidate.
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