The State of Hiring – Crisis Creates Opportunity
In the midst of what continues to feel like a rollercoaster of social and economic upheavals, organizations are faced with a once-in-a-generation need to rebuild their systems and practices for the long-haul– in a way that even the 2008-09 Great Recession did not demand.
The COVID-19 pandemic and other events of 2020 have necessitated a complete reimagining of “business as usual,” revealing existing inefficiencies, from workflows to supply chains; casting an unflattering spotlight on long-standing corporate practices that perpetuate inequalities; and forcing organizations to reckon with the need for rapid innovation and crisis management. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
But if the stress-test of 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that crisis creates opportunity. Rebuilding is necessary, but rebuilding better than before promises the prized long-term payoff. And this conscientious effort begins with organizations equipping themselves with the best talent on the market—sharp, innovative professionals ready to tackle today’s big challenges and create a brighter tomorrow. So how can organizations accomplish this feat?
IT STARTS WITH DATA AND CONSISTENCY
Wiley Workplace Learning Solutions surveyed over 3,000 hiring managers in October 2020 to understand how hiring practices have been changed and challenged over the past year. Our results indicate that many organizations still take a “business as usual” approach to hiring, but not without grave consequence. Despite the fact that many organizations pride themselves on data-driven decision-making, hiring managers often introduce considerable variability into the process of assessing and selecting talent. This not only impacts their team in the short term; it also carries consequences for the organization’s success in the long run and makes the goal of rebuilding better essentially unattainable.
COVID-19 EXACERBATES EXISTING HIRING CHALLENGES
It should come as no surprise that hiring can be difficult. Three out of four respondents said the hiring process in general is challenging for their organization. For hiring managers in particular, it is a demanding, time-consuming, and high stakes task. And, with growing demands on hiring managers’ time and the ever-present stress of a global pandemic, nearly half (44%) of those surveyed said they have found it difficult to dedicate time in recent months to the hiring process. But if their attention to hiring has fallen by the wayside even a bit, that could create longer-term consequences for how capable, productive, and satisfied recent hires are.
In fact…
3 out of 4 respondents said the hiring process in general is challenging for their organization
75 percent reported challenges with aligning with colleagues and/or recruiters on job requirements
68 percent reported challenges with knowing which topics to focus on during interviews
83 percent reported challenges with determining which candidate will be the best fit
78 percent reported challenges with on boarding new hires
When we consider the hiring process as a series of sequential steps, it’s clear that each one poses challenges for an overwhelming majority of hiring managers.
It goes without saying that the pandemic has made many facets of life more difficult, and hiring is no exception. Indeed, nearly all respondents told us these steps in the hiring process have been just as—if not more—challenging as a result of the pandemic.
Stay tuned for our next article, where we dive into the new pain points that have been exposed as a result of the pandemic, then, what to do about solving them!
Schedule a no-obligation call to review your hiring process with one of our friendly professionals!