The slow easing of restrictions and wider vaccinations are making a return to the physical workplace a much simpler matter than it was the year prior. However, this is not the only factor affecting employees’ willingness to return to the workplace.
The past year has proven that remote work offers benefits for both employers and employees. Coming into 2021, then, it is apparent that there is an increased employee preference for a hybrid work setup that allows them to work onsite and remotely as needed.
With this new setup materializing as the new normal for offices, HR departments for various organizations now face the challenge of effectively engaging team members and candidates for hiring in a remote setup.
There are many helpful tools today to address the great range of concerns that HR staff have. Here is a guide to help your team seamlessly adjust to the new demands of the post-COVID-19 normal.
For the Onboarding Process
With limited face-to-face interviews happening still, recruiters need to adjust to following new hiring protocols. Pay attention to these three key areas for your onboarding processes.
1. Make sure you are hiring the right people
What your HR team urgently needs now is the capability to screen candidates based on skills and character without having to meet them in person. Transitioning to an efficient onboarding system takes time, so it helps to outsource instead of coming up with a system from scratch.
Aptitude.ph is one such website that handles all the pre-screening duties on your behalf. Using these kinds of solutions speeds up your recruitment process with tools that give you insight into candidates’ potential performance in your organization.
Background checks are also critical in remote hiring for assurance that you are hiring employees you can trust. These are also good for verifying what’s written on their resumes.
2. Easily manage multiple candidates in one place
Some organizations face situations in which they have to hire many employees, such as experiencing rapid business growth in the middle of the pandemic. A simple worksheet of candidates up for interviews is not going to be enough. Manually reading all those resumes is also too time-consuming.
Many applicant tracking solutions act as a database for all pending applications and their current status in the process. It organizes candidates to give you an easier time scanning through names and qualifications and knowing who to schedule for tests and interviews.
3. Have one-on-one final interviews with candidates
Relying on talent acquisition software alone is not enough. At one point during your hiring process, hold an interview with each candidate via video call. Doing a video interview gives you a quick glimpse into their ability to be punctual and professional.
Before the interview, provide clear instructions on what they need to prepare and how they should join the interview. Send them the meeting link beforehand via email. Your preferred video conferencing tool should have an email template feature.
For Managing Current Employees
Onboarding new employees increases the number of people your HR department has to manage. You can accomplish this remotely with the proper applications of relevant tools.
1. Make sure their information is updated
Like your recruitment database, you should also have a digital database where the personal information of each employee is recorded. These are especially helpful today for COVID-19 contact tracing purposes.
For the shift to hybrid work, make sure your employees’ contact details and other relevant information are updated for an easier transition. You can also contact them much faster should you need to relay important or urgent announcements.
2. Have different messaging channels
Since the hybrid work setup will have only a handful of employees occupying office premises at one time, you should have messaging channels for clear communication.
On your messaging platform, set up different channels to fulfill different purposes. For example, have a channel for general announcements and another as an assistance channel for technical issues and other kinds of help your team may need throughout the workday.
Do not just be all about work, either. Create a channel dedicated to casual conversations, too. Think of this as a replacement for your lunchtime talks in which people can recommend shows and movies they’ve watched or bring up random fun topics to discuss.
As an HR manager, you want to make sure that your team can stay productive with a flexible schedule and is coping well with the changes you are all facing. The proper use of software with clear and open communication helps team members stay engaged and encouraged as they work.
