Tips for hiring post-pandemic

3 tips for hiring in the post-pandemic job market

Has the pandemic affected how you view the role of work in your life? It may be too soon to know if it has permanently changed how we view work, but, for now, it’s caused many people to rethink their work lives and how this impacts–for better and for worse—their personal lives.

You may be seeing this among your own employees and the people you interview. After more than a year of remote work, some people aren’t ready to give that up either in their current job or in a potential new one. Others are taking steps to find jobs that give their lives more meaning, have less of a commute, or better reflect their values and interests. And still others are jockeying for higher pay or better benefits while the number of job openings is so high.

So, how can you hire in this competitive marketplace?

You want to attract the best people for your company, those who will be with you for the long haul. To do this takes some flexibility, creativity, and willingness to approach things differently than you may have done in the past. Consider these three tips for hiring that will make it easier to attract the kind of people you want for your company.

1. Tips for hiring: Rethink you job requirements

Take a good hard look at your must-haves and want-to-haves in your job descriptions. Rewrite them to reflect more realistically what the job requires rather than what sounds good on paper. And think about the qualities possessed by those who have been successful in your company over the years.

Next, reconsider some of your requirements: Does that open position really require a candidate with a four-year college degree or would an Associate’s Degree suffice? Rather than requiring 1-3 years of experience, could you train someone in the role?

Assess whether the job you are trying to fill has changed over the years: Does the job need to be split into two positions? Or, maybe technology has lessened the workload, allowing two jobs to be merged into one with better pay than if they were split in two.

Can you offer some WFH days, a fully remote position, part-time hours, or create a job share? Consider all these questions as you post a job listing and begin talking to great candidates you may have overlooked in the past.

2. Tips for hiring: Promote your company’s brand

If a job seeker were to look up your company and its employees, what would they find? Today’s job seekers are looking for more meaning and diversity in the workplace, as well as an atmosphere that will make them glad to go to work. To learn more about your company, they will try to find out more online.

Use your website, social media, and press releases to show who you are. If you perform any kind of community outreach or volunteer opportunities, share that on all platforms from LinkedIn to Facebook to Instagram.

Share photos or videos of your fun out-of-office times, the plate of cookies your employee shared with the team, or your boss’s friendly dog who likes to visit.

South Shore Staffing attends dinner together at Northern Spy

And don’t forget your Google My Business page! One of our most recent uploads—a photo of our team at dinner together (shown above)—has racked up thousands of views in just a few weeks.

If your workplace is more diverse than your website or marketing materials suggest, take the time to update with new imagery. You may also consider adding pronouns to your personal social media profile, or a statement of diversity on your company’s website.

3. Tips for hiring: Staff creatively

If you haven’t tried anything but direct hire before, you might be surprised at the value other staffing options can bring. Temporary positions can help you fill the gaps while you hire for full-time roles. It’s also a valuable option to keep up with a demand surge without adding to your headcount, to meet tight project deadlines, or to bring in individuals with specialized skills only as long as you need them.

Temporary-to-hire is perfect for making sure you and the new employee are happy with the match before committing to a full-time hire. We have had a lot of success using this “trial period”, especially for companies who are still figuring out what they need or want to try to give someone with less experience a chance to succeed at a more challenging role.

Staffing firms like South Shore Staffing are perfect for facilitating these options as we are used to promoting and setting them up with candidates who see the value in accepting either temporary or temp-to-hire positions. We handle all the set up  of these agreements so that you can focus on growing your business.

When you’re ready to explore your hiring options in this post-pandemic job market or are just looking for help filling open jobs, contact the team at South Shore Staffing today.

 

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