Is Now a Feasible Time to Take On Staff?
We’re living through a hard time. For many of us, this spans multiple areas. We could be struggling with our health. We could be struggling with our finances. We could be struggling on a personal level in terms of loneliness, anxiety or other mental or emotional concerns. The rapid spread of coronavirus really has caused mass scale chaos across the world. Now, if your business is one of the hundreds of thousands that are struggling as a result of social distancing measures being implemented and consumers being more reluctant to spend on non-essential items, you’re not going to be asking if you should be taking on staff now. Instead, you’ll be focusing on how to keep your company afloat and retain the employees that you already have. Some businesses, however, are doing pretty well right now. Perhaps your staff can work from home. Perhaps your company is online based anyway. In cases like this, increased demand or routine as usual could have you questioning whether now is a good time to take on staff. Let’s take a moment to see whether this is feasible in the current climate!
The Positives
When it comes down to it, if you can offer someone a job during these hard times, you’ll be doing a good deed. So many people are out of work and struggling financially that being able to prop up at least one individual can make the world of difference to them and any of their friends or family they may be supporting too. Now could also be a good time to recruit on your side of things too. Some great talent who are usually tied up in permanent positions are suddenly back on the job market, so you could use this as an opportunity to get some truly talented individuals on board!
The Remote Recruitment Process
Of course, if you do decide to take on staff, you are going to find that the recruitment process will be pretty different to what you’re used to. What’s usually a pretty face-to-face sequence of events will suddenly have to be carried out remotely. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to get some recruitment software, such as a crew app to help with this. Here are a few steps you may find yourself following.
Advertising Online
This shouldn’t be too different to usual. People will be looking on online jobs boards for open vacancies. So, advertise the position you’re hoping to fill on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed.
Telephone Interviews
Get in touch by phone or email to arrange a first stage telephone interview with suitable candidates. This will give you a feel for their experience and personality before progressing to the next stage.
Video Interviews
Once you’ve whittled down your options to some true potentials, arrange a video interview with each. Nowadays, there are apps and programs that allow for group video chats, allowing whoever needs to be in the interview to be present!
Sure, it may feel an odd time to recruit. But if your business requires extra pairs of hands right now, and if you’re capable of supporting a new recruit, this could be a great thing to do!