COVID-19 Recruitment Strategies

Despite the resurgence of COVID-19 in Auckland, we are starting to see the recruitment space humming again (much to our excitement).

There is no denying however that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the recruitment space, we are all having to approach recruitment differently, and we are urging our clients to do the same.

With the recruitment world changing, and evolving we thought we would share some of our top tips, and the key takeaways we have learnt over the past few months:

High Numbers of Either Overqualified or Under Qualified Candidates

Be conscious and compassionate when communicating with over qualified candidates as this is likely new and scary territory for them, they may be frustrated and feel undervalued, so be kind and patient

Skill Gaps

Will still occur and there will still be hard to fill jobs even with an increase of candidates in the market, more candidates doesn't necessarily mean more options for the role you are looking to fill, so understand there will still need to be effort put into the recruitment process to attract and secure the right candidate

Tap into Transferable Skills

Don't discount candidates straight off the back of their work history – if you are looking for an administrator, or sales person, people in the travel industry for example have a lot of transferable skills and are used to dealing with technical computer systems. If you are willing to train - they may be worth it.

Be Wary of How You Manage Your Social Media

You will receive more unsolicited phone calls and messages/CVs as unemployment rates soar, so be professional when responding to these candidates, as some of them may be in a frustrated head space, and get back to every candidate – even if it is to tell them they have been unsuccessful – this goes along way with company reputation.

The Right Offer

You may think due to the current state of the economy, it is acceptable to offer a lightly lower salary package than what you would in a more stable job market – be wary of this – many candidates will be in a desperate position and may take the first job that they are offered. If you want longevity you still need to offer an appealing package to avoid your new hire making a move when another, possibly better offer comes along. Start off on the right foot and show them they are valued.

Specific Criteria

The best way to find the best candidates and cull out the unsuitable ones is to have more specific criteria on your adverts, as much as you can and add more specific questions in the application process.

For more advice and assistance with your next hire, get in touch with our Recruitment Team on 0800 HR FOR U.

Amy South

Recruitment Partner