The current pandemic brings with is many forms of sadness, loss, grief, and negativity. We recognize this to be the case and do not take it lightly. The negative news has become ubiquitous, so let’s go in the other direction. In the context of careers and talent acquisition, let’s take a quick journey into the land of silver linings (yes, it exists) to see how we may be in store for positive change.
- Streamlined Decision Making
With most people stationary, key decision-makers are easier to pin down. More impactful to the long term process is the fact that we are seeing many clients adapt quickly and realizing how thorough evaluation can be without an in-person interview. In the past, it was easy to use the in-person as a reason for procrastination. Instead of doing phone interviews today and then meeting the person 30-60 days later “when I am in the area,” many companies are doing 1-2 phone meetings and then 1-2 video meetings with a candidate, all inside of 2 weeks. The frequent feedback from the hiring manager is that they are pleasantly surprised by how thorough and efficient it can be. Many have changed the process for the long term.
- “A-players” are more willing to talk.
There was a particular sales project we worked on in the pre-COVID days. It is a great job, but like most of my clients, the prospect needs to hear their whole story to understand how awesome they are. When the unemployment rate in the lab science market is virtually zero, busy professionals with a decent job may politely blow us off before we get the chance to discuss the value proposition. Now that things are uncertain for many, humility has kicked in. In May, we lined up a number of top candidates and filled the role. If you have the capital, it is a great time to recruit.
- Americans with disabilities may be getting more access to opportunities.
Despite the laws in place by the ADA, those with disabilities continue to face challenges. Many job descriptions are written with the idea that the person needs to be in a particular office to be productive. Now, just after a few months, many leaders are convinced that this is not always the case. HR leaders and hiring managers are now in a position to adjust job descriptions that will hopefully create more chances for those with disabilities. Executives realize that they can adopt tasks and technologies that support remote work. The new metrics are showing that “face time” is not always necessary.
Hopefully, this quick trip to a positive place creates momentum for you.
“How I choose to feel is how I am” -Pearl Jam