Tag Archive: Digital Hiring

  1. HR’s Digital Transformation is Happening: How to Lean In

    Transformation is a funny thing.

    Leading up to crisis, business leaders across the world were talking about transformation. Planning for transformation. Ready to invest trillions in transformation. Until transformation was thrust upon us.

    It’s unfortunate that we lost control of the timeline, but the upside is, transformation – namely, digital transformation – is happening. Right in front of our eyes. And we’re realizing, as leaders from the NBA, Nextdoor, United Health, and more pointed out in a Bersin webinar, we didn’t need multi-year initiatives to get it done.

    Tripti Jha, Global Head of People Solutions at Novartis summed it up well, saying, “We had a two year roll out for Microsoft Teams that was accelerated to two weeks.”

    So here we are. Being transformed in ways we did and didn’t plan for, and accomplishing impressive feats in record time.

    In HR, things were already digital.

    Applicant tracking, learning management, payroll, benefits (the list goes on). The focus at the onset of 2020 was digitizing “the experience.” In other words, designing processes and tools that not only make HR more efficient, but create connective tissue between HR, employees, and potential employees.

    While most things that were important at the beginning of the year pale in comparison to a global pandemic, this hasn’t changed. In fact, being forced apart has brought more attention to the experiences and interactions between us.

    Learning and development experiences still matter. Hiring experiences still matter. What’s changed is our collective comfort level and reliance on technology to deliver these experiences.

    Pre-crisis, digital experiences were on the rise for many reasons. They’re fast, cost-efficient, and give employees direct access to the information they need, eliminating much of HR’s administrative hangover. All good things, and HR teams were eager to move in that direction. But crisis forced everyone into “early adoption.”

    Digital experiences are no longer nice to have.

    They’re must-haves, as companies fundamentally shift their work environments and people practices in a post-coronavirus world.

    Meanwhile, talent acquisition teams are facing the challenge of a lifetime, having to hire in an unemployment market that rivals the Great Depression. As companies build back their workforces, they’ll be flooded with applications, making it impossible to follow a process that was designed for hiring in a low unemployment market.

    That’s why companies are modeling a new process – and new strategy – around digital hiring.

    Digital hiring is here to stay.

    Recruiting teams have been sourcing, reviewing resumes, and assessing candidates online for years. But most aren’t equipped for digital interviewing or digital onboarding.

    To effectively hire in a future where remote work is the norm, recruiting efforts are lean, and teams are assembled by skill set and compatibility, not physical location, companies need a complete digital hiring process, not a partial one. Just as important is the ability to connect everyone, including candidates, interviewers, and hiring managers in one seamless experience from start to finish.

    This is what’s required to get hiring “up to speed” with HR transformation and the strategy that business leaders are building for the future.

    Ready to make your move?

    Outmatch’s digital hiring solutions remove barriers and make it possible for companies to:

    If this sounds like the direction your business is headed in, we invite to try our digital hiring platform, which includes full access to our online assessment + video interviewing software.

  2. How to Make Remote Work a Strategy, Not a Crisis Response

    Remember life before COVID-19? Sometimes it feels like a decade ago. If the amount of change over the past few months seems, for lack of a better term, unprecedented, that’s because it is, particularly with regard to the impact on the workplace.

    Seemingly overnight, office closures forced employers to piece together impromptu work from home policies, while employees scrambled to set up home offices (or a laptop at the kitchen table) without much notice.

    Ironically, many of the remote work tools that kept organizations going during the crisis had been around for years. Some, for decades. Despite having the ability to support a remote workforce from a technology standpoint, most employers remained fully committed to physical office locations. In fact, research from March 2020 showed that only 7% of U.S. workers had the option to work from home regularly.

    That number is likely to increase, especially as companies follow Twitter’s lead in allowing employees to work from home forever. The World Economic Forum writes, “COVID-19 may yet do what years of advocacy failed to: Make telework a benefit available to more than a relative handful of U.S. workers.” 

    Whether that possibility is exciting or disruptive to your business, the wheels are already in motion. Here are some additional stats to consider:

    • 56% of U.S. workers hold a job that is compatible (at least partially) with remote work.
    • 25-30% of the workforce will be working at home on a multiple days a week by the end of 2021.
    • 80% of employees want to work from home at least some of the time and 1/3 would take a pay cut to do so.

    For these reasons, employers need to need to start thinking about making their move sooner rather than later, building the business case, allocating resources, and rethinking their approach to hiring. Here are some factors that will help shape your remote work strategy.

    Return on investment 

    Let’s start with the practical piece of the puzzle: the business case. As Fast Company explained, before COVID-19, many companies maintained their physical offices for security reasons. Those that handle sensitive data couldn’t send their employees to work from home without setting up the infrastructure needed to protect the business.

    Now, having implemented at least temporary solutions to shore up the organization, there’s less of a reason to go back to the way things were. On top of that, early reports show that remote employees are spending three hours more per day online than they were before the pandemic. The idea of lower costs combined with the potential for higher productivity makes it unlikely that employers as a whole will return to the office.

    Instead, a good portion will opt to maintain the new status quo. This means turning temporary solutions into permanent ones that will support employees and the organization long term.

    Expanded global reach

    As the remote work model becomes permanent, talent teams need to start thinking about next steps. What makes a good remote employee? Are the right people in the right roles today, or will teams be re-organized? What are hiring needs going forward?

    In answering these questions, new opportunities become apparent. No longer are teams or new talent confined a 25-mile radius. Now the organization can think – and hire – globally. That opens up a world of possibilities from a recruiting perspective, but one that will also need to be satisfied remotely.

    Everything from sourcing and screening to interviewing and onboarding will become part of a digital hiring process, one that connects candidates and hiring teams anywhere in the world. This streamlined virtual experience will replace the need to travel in, shakes hands, and awkwardly parade around the office.

    Competitive employer brand

    Working from home has long been seen as a perk for interested employees, especially those seeking more work-life balance. Much like employers have “seen the light” in how well a remote set up can work for the organization, employees who experienced the benefits of working from home during the pandemic are less inclined to restart their commute.

    Having weathered the storm and worked out the kinks, remote employers will become increasingly attractive to candidates in the months and years to come. Embracing remote work communicates nimbleness and resilience on the part of the organization, showing its ability to move past self-imposed limitations to create a more flexible and sustainable model – one that instills trust in its workforce. Pretty good value proposition, no?

    For some, going remote might not have been the plan. And staying remote might not be either. But as this year has proven, and as the famous Mike Tyson quote goes, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

    It’s how organizations react and adapt that matters in the long run.

  3. Unemployment Is Up. So Is Hiring Activity…

    Is the curve up? Flattening? What is the impact to lives? And what is this doing to the economy?

    As you watch the news and read the papers, headlines have been grim over the last 8 weeks. The April jobs report was just released, and the news is not any better. Here is what we know:

    • Over 20 million private sector jobs lost, dwarfing the just over 700,000 jobs lost in March
    • Unemployment rates of over 15% will be reported, but upward of 24% unemployment likely exists, according to Neel Kashkari, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
    • April job losses were more than double the total jobs lost during the Great Depression, according to ADP’s National Employment Report

    Despite all this, we at Outmatch have been tracking the inputs to hiring and are cautiously optimistic. Each year, we track hiring activity and data of over 12 million candidates. Over the last 60 days, we have seen a drop in hiring activity, but our data is now showing an uptick.

    Recent Increase in Hiring Activity

    Findings from Outmatch Digital Hiring Platform over the last 60 days

    Our data is showing increased hiring activity in the sectors most impacted by the coronavirus, as well as increased activity in real estate, finance, and business services. The movement up is gradual and there will still be ups and downs, but we thought it was important to share some optimistic news.

    Digital hiring and remote work emerging as trends

    With a focus on people returning to work, we are also seeing a shift in how our clients think about hiring and the work environment. Two trends we are seeing gain momentum are:

    Digital hiring:

    Expected large candidate pools, an inability to bring back all furloughed employees, and a continued need for social distancing are causing us to think differently about our hiring processes and how we bring employees back to work. The questions being asked are:

    Remote work:

    Some organizations went from no one working remotely to everyone working remotely. There was a scramble for processes and technology, but now settled in, we are seeing our workforce is productive and some are even thriving. The change has caused us to ask:

    • Do all our employees need to be in the office to be productive? If no, can I expand my candidate pools?
    • In addition to what jobs work best being remote, what competencies does someone need to be a successful remote worker?

    We have found the data and observations interesting and would love to hear your strategies as you think about hiring and remote work and would be happy to share some of the innovative things we are doing with other clients.

     

    Robin Stenzel
    Chief Solutions Officer, Outmatch

  4. How Crisis Has Shifted Hiring in 4 Big Industries

    After years of growth and low unemployment rates, there’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the hiring landscape almost overnight. By mid-April, the number of unemployed reached 22 million, wiping out a decade of gains in just four weeks.

    At the same time, the crisis created a boom in certain pockets of the economy, including essential businesses and businesses that had (or were able to quickly pivot to) an online model.

    Since the crisis began, our data shows a spike in the number of companies using video interviewing software. This tells us two things: that hiring is still happening, and that video is key in supporting the shift to a digital model, one that may stick around long after the outbreak ends.

    Leading the shift to digital hiring are these four industries:

    1. HR and staffing
    2. Manufacturing
    3. Health and medial
    4. Retail

    Graph of video interview adoption by industryOther early adopters include baking and financial services, education, sports, and IT. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the top 4 industries: 

    HR and staffing

    It seems only logical that HR and staffing would be among the first to adopt video interviewing, as they represent a cross-section of industries. Outside of specialized staffing where demand has fallen, companies continue to rely on these services during the pandemic.

    While the staffing industry has shown it’s ability adapt to a digital model, there’s concern about hiring managers, who are in uncharted territory. As Human Resource Executive magazine points out, “Managers typically receive training in the basics, but now, we’re in a whole new world. How do we help them through the nuances of video interviewing, virtually onboarding new hires, building a virtual team?” 

    Getting the right tools in place makes this transition easier, especially as hiring slows in some industries and picks up in others. And should remote work become more popular on the other side, the organizations that took the time to prepare will be well-positioned when the hiring resurgence happens. 

    Manufacturing

    In manufacturing, supply chain disruptions have some companies ramping up production to meet increased demand. Similar to HR and staffing, manufacturing touches multiple sectors, including many on the frontlines.

    Reports USA Today, GE Healthcare is hiring additional manufacturing employees to help meet the need for personal protective equipment like face masks as well as ventilators, CT machines, ultrasound devices, mobile X-ray systems and patient monitors. The same is true of cleaning supply manufacturers and others creating newly necessary items.

    The only problem is, as MarketWatch shares, “In the manufacturing industry, many employers are actually struggling to fill openings because the positions have become more technically sophisticated than they were in past decades.” 

    Here’s where the right recruiting technology solutions can help these organizations source, screen, and assess potential candidates, working to make sure reqs are filled with the right people, even when in-person interviews aren’t an option.

    Health and medical

    Since the U.S. declared a public health emergency at the end of January, health and medical organizations have been working around the clock to find workers to take care of patients.

    The Office of Personnel Management even implemented new guidelines as part of its COVID-19 Excepted Service Hiring Authority initiative to expedite the hiring process. States like California have changed the rules to “free up more doctors and nurses,” contacting those already retired and relying on the support of advanced students.

    The health and medical arena are also in the midst of digital disruption, as telehealth becomes increasingly useful. 

    Between the need for qualified talent and a call to move patient interactions online, video is apt to serve a larger number of organizations in the coming days, weeks, and months. No surprise that a quick Indeed.com search for “healthcare” in the U.S. yielded close to 65,000 openings, ranging from medical assistants to patient care specialists. 

    Retail

    Though retail as a whole isn’t doing too well, with temporary and permanent closures across the country, there are pockets of hiring going on. Most of this activity is taking place in grocery and hardware stores, both of which are considered essential in most states, including the hardest-hit like New York and New Jersey. 

    Convenience store chain 7-Eleven is hiring 20,000 for positions across the U.S. The parent company of Safeway and Acme is looking to hire 30,000 new associates. In March, Kroger was planning to hire 10,000 new workers but ended up hiring more than double that. Tractor Supply Co. and Ace Hardware are following suit, while online retailers like Amazon continue adding to their workforce, hiring 100,000 in March and another 75,000 in April.

    Even for temporary roles, high-volume scenarios necessitate a structured approach to hiring, one that makes it possible to interview multiple candidates in a short time frame. 

    When the pandemic ends…

    It will have changed recruiting and talent selection as we know it. If you’re considering making digital hiring part of your strategy, you’re in good company. No matter what industry you’re in, digital hiring will provide a way for you to continue operating in crisis, or support you on the road to recovery.

    Learn more about the benefits of digital hiring, or use our digital hiring solutions free for 60 days.

  5. How to Identify the Best Candidates for Remote Work

    Use these 6 competencies to identify successful remote employees – especially helpful in today’s stressful times

    Remote work isn’t a new phenomenon. Some companies have been hiring remote workers for years. The old fashioned term for remote work was “telecommuting.” Remember that? Telecommuting was exciting! “You mean I can spend the entire day in my PJs?!”

    Today, remote work is strategy, and getting more strategic by the day. Even before the coronavirus pandemic changed our work lives forever, companies began shifting some work to remote employees to help save costs, make schedules more flexible, and even increase their talent pool.

    The challenges with managing and hiring remote workers will only get more complex as companies fundamentally change their hiring practices in a post Coronavirus world. The biggest problem with hiring remote workers is the hiring process itself. If you are using the same process as you use for on-premise workers, you are either not happy with the outcomes or losing good candidates who simply don’t want to put on an “interview suit.”

    Using your existing process, how do you know if your candidate is self-directed enough, can build relationships remotely, or is agile enough to learn at a distance? In other words, what are the knowledge, skills, personal characteristics, and competencies that lead to peak performance?

    Here are 6 key competencies that we have found are the most telling of success in a remote role:

    1. Adaptability

    Open to new ideas and ways of doing business as well as adopting to change willingly.

    2. Resilience

    Responds to challenges with composure, optimism and hardiness; perseveres and exhibits healthy stress management strategies.

    3. Learning Agility

    Learns quickly, applies newly learned information and skills to innovate and adapt, and uses feedback to improve.

    4. Communicating effectively

    Expresses thoughts and ideas in a clear and effective manner.

    5. Relationship management

    Builds and maintains meaningful and positive connections with others inside or outside of the organization.

    6. Teamwork and Collaboration

    Cooperates with others through mutual trust and accountability to accomplish shared objectives.

    If you are hiring remotely or realizing that remote hiring will be a key part of your post-Coronavirus strategy, you should seriously consider measuring for these competencies.

    Talent assessments and video interviewing can help you identify and measure these competencies so that when you do hire that remote employee, you’ll know they can handle the work in their PJs all day long…