Non-negotiables of being a virtual recruiter

The year 2020 pushed many professionals to go beyond the traditional norms of delivering tasks and performing roles, and when it came to recruitment, it required a whole new ball game. Be it assessing capabilities and managing the entire recruitment cycle virtually, or being a brand ambassador for the employer through such uncertain times when potential job seekers seek clarity through the ambiguity, recruiters had to take on the task to perform both the roles efficiently and effectively.

While talent professionals have aced skills such as talent attraction, management and retention, what has changed now is replicating these tasks over a digital, rather hybrid workspace. The world of recruitment, much like the larger world of work has been disrupted, calling for a revamp not just in processes and skills, but also in the scope of what the role of a recruiter entails.

Let’s explore what this scope looks like through a video in the next section that highlights how recruiters have stepped up to cater to the evolving needs of employers and labor market, post the pandemic, and dive into how talent professionals are gearing up for the future of recruitment.

The future of hiring is virtual

LinkedIn’s latest report “The Future of Recruiting: How COVID-19 is transforming recruiting ”, brings out some key insights on the evolving landscape of recruitment.

According to the findings, 72% Asia-Pacific’s talent professionals say virtual recruiting will become the new standard, and another 78% of Asia-Pacific’s talent professionals agree virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID.

In light of these statistics and the shift to a hybrid workspace, it is evident that virtual recruitment will in fact shape the future of hiring. 

Now, before identifying how can employers ensure their talent acquisition team is skilled to elevate hiring in the new workspace and aren’t operating with a make-shift mindset and tools, let’s first take a look at how a recruiter in India, Shambhavi, is keeping compassion centre stage in the world of virtual recruiting:

Imbibing compassion to adapt to ongoing circumstances

By building a team of recruiters who are empathetic, employers have an opportunity to create a compassionate employer brand that not only is looking for great talent, but is willing to go the extra mile to onboard great talent through a seamless and supportive experience. Empathy is no longer a good to have skill, it is an absolute non-negotiable and empowers recruiters to build trust with the talent pool.

The uncertainties and unfamiliar aspects of existing circumstances are as challenging for candidates as they are for employers.

Therefore, if recruiters are empathetic listeners and a trustworthy career guide as applicants navigate the next step of their professional journey in these times, it definitely speaks volumes of the kind of organization that the candidates are being approached by.

Additionally, through talent sharing opportunities, employers are again demonstrating their priorities - people first. Several global multinationals have leveraged shared talent pools to enable the gig economy, making employment possible at a time when individuals are struggling to make ends meet. 

Building employer brands through recruitment

At a time that’s tipping towards a war for talent, it has become critical to provide job seekers with a memorable experience - be it through clarity, consistency and transparency in communication about where the organization is, where it plans to go and what role will the potential employee play in that journey or be it about the processes and providing a smooth experience through a well-planned and equipped virtual hiring process.

As ambiguity and uncertainty persist, efforts towards crafting and delivering a memorable experience for the talent pool, will go a long way in building sustainable trust and respect in the employer brand.

Inclusion is a key aspect of being a strong and preferred employer brand, and this crisis has already given organizations an opportunity to boost their efforts in this direction. As organizations have been able to boost geographical diversity by 20%, consequent to remote hiring, it has fared well to bring in a more diverse workforce and eliminate geographic barriers. LinkedIn as a platform has been instrumental in connecting talent with employers beyond the constraints of location.

As virtual hiring becomes the new standard, there is sure a lot to juggle for recruiters - from upskilling to understand digital workflows to carry online recruitment processes, to amplifying networking efforts, while also being empathetic listeners and a trusted career advisor for candidates. The role of a recruiter has seen significant transformation post the occurrence of COVID-19. How swiftly they adapt to these dynamic needs under the unprecedented business climate will determine their employer’s pace of transition from sustenance to growth.