How to navigate through Covid and recruit tech talent

August 28, 2020 Jonathan Kidder 3 comments

A recent survey conducted by Candor revealed that 60% of the 1,700 businesses interviewed have hiring freezes in place. This is just one statistic that helps show how drastically the job market has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research has also revealed that, while software development companies are also strongly impacted, they seem to be in a prime position when it comes to the ratio of hiring to layoffs. Tech companies – are still hiring during this time. In fact, some companies / startups are booming during this time. With so much happening within our world – I wanted to highlight ways Recruiters can navigate through these challenges and successfully recruit and source tech talent.

 

Here are five things you should consider as you look to navigate through this COVID pandemic and hire tech talent.

 

Make Intentional Changes

Obviously, physical contact has been limited or eliminated at every level, and that includes the hiring process. Chances are, the old way you went about hiring is no longer socially responsible, which means you need to make deliberate changes to reflect the pandemic and current state of things.

 

For instance, companies who continue to recruit have moved their training online. For recruiters, interviews have now become powered by video chats and phone calls exclusively. But, rather than seeing this as a potential complication, consider it an opportunity to sharpen your skills with the technical side of recruiting.

 

Talk with candidates about your new process. How you’ve gone fully remote and how your team is handling final rounds and on-boarding plans.

 

Over Communicate your Recruitment Process

The pandemic represents a stark change in everyone’s lifestyle. After all, none of us were around last time the world experienced anything like today’s pandemic. While some areas may be used to natural disasters that affect things at a regional level, pandemic has led to global shutdowns, which means organizations have had to learn along the way.

 

With that said, we should be using this pandemic as a gateway to changing how we do things. Today’s work environments require more flexibility than ever before, and topics like balance and adaption are major subjects everyone is talking about. But, to keep things on track throughout COVID and beyond, don’t under-stress the importance of communicating. After all, it’s easy for everyone to get a little off track as we navigate this new territory together.

 

Do Your Best to Accommodate

Let’s face it, in the wake of this pandemic, many professional guises have fallen in the face of home offices and makeshift workspaces that are filled with distractions, from pets and children to significant others fighting for their own peace and quiet. As a recruiter, you should realize that employees have very different and unique needs right now and, as such, you should be actively seeking out technology and resources that will help them perform at their best regardless of challenges.

 

For instance, staying home 24/7 adds new stressors, so go out of your way to figure out how you can help reduce the stress associated with their new work environment. Meanwhile, also make sure that you’re prepping employees for managing their work/life balance, which can be tougher than ever before.

 

Get Creative

The current situation is certainly unpredictable, but out of that unpredictability should come an opportunity to grow and change your old ways of doing things. Things that companies used to think were impossible to manage remotely are now being forced to change forever, and there are likely habits and techniques in your own work that you’re also beginning to see in whole new ways.

 

Watch your Competition

What are your Competitors doing? Are they offering fully remote opportunities? You may need to address these issues with your leadership team. The new norm may change and candidates will only want fully remote opportunities moving forward.

 

How to Message Software Engineers Post-Covid

  1. Sell your project and tech stack.
  2. Call out candidates skills, projects, or overall uniqueness.
  3. Talk about your work life balance and remote/virtual based options.
  4. Follow up – it might take a few more follows up. Candidates’ are busy outside of work hours.
  5. Do not spam – don’t get annoying.

 

As a recruiter, it’s important that you’re staying connected and engaged with those around you and making things as fun as possible, whether it’s through gamification, fun new communication tools, or something other. Don’t allow the new way of working to get the best of you or any of your candidates.

 

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Recommended Reading:

How to Manage Employer Branding During a Pandemic Year

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Job Interview

Amy Miller Interview Spotlight

 

Jonathan Kidder
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3 Comments on “How to navigate through Covid and recruit tech talent

  1. Thanks for sharing this article. Since this global pandemic has changed the employment landscape dramatically, recruiter are facing tough challenges to hire strategically. These points must be helpful for organizations to reboot their recruitment strategy.

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