Companies worldwide are focusing on how to avoid Coronavirus outbreaks. As a result, we are seeing disruptions in hiring practices and working environments in all industries. Many companies are encouraging remote work from home as a solution to keep employees healthy while conducting business as usual. Whether your business is continuing to hire as normal or you are seeing a need to recruit temporary workers to support outbreak-related response needs, here are some ways your company can adjust and adapt to these changes.
Use Video for Interviews and Meetings
Many companies use Skype, Zoom, GoToMeeting, WebEx, and other video applications for internal business operations. However, job applicants and HR managers can expect to use them more frequently—primarily if travel is restricted, and employees are encouraged to avoid having in-person meetings. This is particularly true for companies with large numbers of employees in regions where there are more reported cases of Coronavirus.
Remote Work & Telecommuting
Remote work from home will become much more common as companies counsel employees on how to avoid Coronavirus to prevent spreading it in the workplace. Employees, HR managers, employees, and even job candidates should use collaboration and file-sharing platforms such as SharePoint, Google Docs, Slack, and Dropbox since they enable real-time edits, instant feedback, and in-person meetings.
Recruiting Outside the Box
If businesses and job applicants use video, phone, and remote work from home, recruiting may begin to feel less personal. A few ways to prevent this are to implement an employee referral program and leverage your existing talent network and candidate pool. These people are typically former employees, friends, and family of employees and top candidates who were not a good fit for a job they applied for in the past. Companies can also ask employees to share employment opportunities on their social media channels and contact past applicants.
Employee Support and Retention
Around 55% of workers receive paid time off, and many hourly workers lack protections outside of working hours—especially those in industries such as hospitality and foodservice. Since these are often lower-income employees, they are more vulnerable to getting sick since they often are not offered remote work from home options. Companies should be sensitive to the fact that these workers might feel they can’t take time off to simply not being able to. In addition to providing them with information on how to avoid Coronavirus, such as washing hands thoroughly and using hand sanitizer and wipes to prevent the spread of germs, organizations should enact temporary remote working policies where possible to protect hourly workers.
These are trying times, and organizations worldwide are making adjustments to keep business on track while protecting employees and maintaining hiring.
For help with your hiring and team development efforts, during the Coronavirus Pandemic, please contact us today.