These three tips will put you on track in the new normal
It’s no surprise that many brokers have needed to recruit more staff recently. The onset of COVID-19 last year meant a surge in customer enquiries and an increase in business for brokers across the country. But 2020 was also a year in which the recruitment and onboarding process needed to be reinvented as managers and employees found themselves working from home. MPA spoke with Indeed head of career insights Jay Munro for his top tips on recruiting in the new normal.
Don’t put it off
While some people may feel daunted by the process of virtual recruitment, Munro said it is important to hire when you need it.
“Recruitment is still happening,” he said. “My advice is, don’t feel like you have to wait until everyone’s back at work and everything dies down, because the activity is still going on and you don’t want to miss out on that talent when it is available.”
Read more: Ofer Greenberg: Five key qualities to look for when hiring
Consider diversity
While it may be tempting to focus on an application process that suits you, Munro said it is important to consider the needs of a diverse range of job applicants when recruiting new staff.
“What practises do you have to facilitate diversity?” he said. “Are you preventing people in different social groups from applying? How are you facilitating an easy application process?”
Read more: Cracking the diversity code
He said it is important to be accommodating and respectful of the different needs of candidates. People with body dysmorphia or who are anxious about having a video interview, for example, may find it more challenging than others when it comes to presenting their best self over Zoom.
“How do we work with those candidates to identify that’s the hesitation they have, but also accommodate that? I think we have to be pretty accommodating at the moment,” he said.
Don’t ignore unsuccessful candidates
We’ve all felt the sting of never hearing back from a company after applying for a job. Munro said in the current environment it’s more important than ever to let applicants know when they haven’t been successful.
“One of the most important things that we see which can damage the brand or business for employees or potential employees, and can lead to really negative feelings towards a business, is when you don’t respond to applications,” he said. “That can be tricky when you’re getting more and more applications coming in that you’re not used to managing, but even if it’s an automated email or something like that, it just needs to be that communication response when someone puts in the time and effort to apply.”
