COVID-19 has changed the way we do business. Many small businesses are adjusting the way they sell, the way their employees work, and the way they hire. CareerPlug partnered with BenchmarkONE in a webinar to discuss key data from the 2021 Hiring Trends report and how you can create positive candidate experiences in a remote world. 

In this one hour webinar, Natalie Morgan, CareerPlug’s Senior Director of People, discusses:

• The current state of hiring
• Why remote hiring is here to stay
• Steps small businesses can take to ensure they hire the best employee for their needs
• Tips for small businesses to enhance their employer brand

You can watch the replay here. 

What’s the state of hiring in 2021? 

CareerPlug surveyed our clients, primarily small business owners, to learn about how their hiring had changed and what they expect in 2021 for our 2021 Hiring Trends Report.

2021 Hiring Trends Report

CareerPlug surveyed industry experts about hiring trends that have emerged as a result of COVID-19. Learn which trends are here to stay in 2021.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

We found that 61% of businesses made changes to their hiring process during COVID-19 that they plan to keep in 2021. Hiring managers plan to continue investing more time before the initial interview evaluating applicants, utilizing pre-qualification questions and assessments and comprehensive phone screens. 

Most businesses are reporting that their biggest recruiting challenge is a lack of high-quality candidates, followed by employee turnover. 

How to Create Positive Candidate Experiences

One in two job seekers reported having turned down a job offer due to poor experience during the hiring process. No matter the job market, top talent will always have the ability to be picky. Creating a positive candidate experience should be a top priority if you want to attract the best candidates and gain a reputation as being a great place to work.  

When improving your candidate experience, start here: 

1. Show who you are. Step back and pretend you are a job seeker interested in applying for your job . . . what’s the first thing they’re going to learn about your company as a job seeker?  Lead with your purpose – your mission, your values, your vision – on your careers page and in your job postings. You want to attract candidates who value the same things you do. 
2. Enhance your careers page. Just like your marketing website is the hub for your brand, your careers page is the hub for your recruiting. Spend time ensuring that it reflects who you are by sharing your values, describing your culture, adding real company photos, previewing your hiring process, and highlighting employee testimonials.  
3. Provide more information upfront in your job postings. How is your company keeping employees and clients safe during COVID-19? What does remote work look like at your company now and in the future? Set the scene for job seekers and know that more and more people value upfront communication in their evaluation of your company. For example, in our candidate experience report, we learned that 32% of job seekers expect to be informed about compensation in the job post. 
4. Follow up quickly with applicants after they initially apply. 30% of job seekers rank this first follow-up as most important when it comes to a positive candidate experience. Set time aside daily to review candidates and make decisions to move people forward or send them polite rejections. 

Build a Remote Hiring Process

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to a remote hiring process. If you’ve previously hired in-person but are now hiring remotely or partially remotely, adapt your process, but don’t cut out important steps! 

A remote hiring process still has the same goal: to help you evaluate and hire the right person for your team. If there were steps you previously did in person, think about how you can adapt them for a video call. If they can’t be adapted, what can you replace that step with that will allow you to evaluate the same skill or characteristic? 

Keep in mind that remote interviewing also follows the same rules as in-person interviewing. You still want to be prepared, minimize distractions, and leave time for questions. Make sure you’re providing instructions on how to access the virtual interview ahead of time and be gracious about life and tech problems that may occur during the interview (we’re all used to the occasional dog bark or kid crashing Zoom calls by now). 

Take Action

In the era of COVID-19, there are a lot of things that can make life more complicated for small business owners – but hiring the right people shouldn’t be one of them. 

An applicant tracking system like CareerPlug simplifies your hiring process, saving you time and money without sacrificing the quality of your hires. Click here to get a free, personalized demo of CareerPlug today and learn how our software can make hiring easier for you.