The COVID-19 pandemic might be starting to ease, allowing devastated businesses to slowly re-open. Unfortunately, there’s a hidden, unexpected challenge that might be standing in the way. The thing is, many of the job positions that are open will actually pay people less than what they’re currently getting from the government as an unemployment bonus.
Because of this, many employers might be experiencing a shortage of applicants paired with an increase in no-shows for interviews. However, that doesn’t mean they can forego the criminal job background check for anyone who happens to be qualified. This precaution holds true even if you’re accustomed to having 20-30 applicants in the first 24 hours following a job posting but are now having trouble getting a single applicant.
In addition, there are even more hurdles, such as ensuring you have a safe working environment for your employees. Roadblocks such as these can actually make it even more challenging to find and attract new talent. Many people may fear exposure to the novel coronavirus, either from participating in an on-site interview or from any circumstance that requires them to leave the safety of their own homes. Other people might simply be putting off their job search until the pandemic eases up a bit more. All of these obstacles and more need to be cleared to find new talent.
Bonuses and Wages
Because of the extraordinary circumstances of COVID, many businesses didn’t have a plan for a pandemic in place and have had to cut employees’ wages. However, if you’re struggling to attract qualified candidates, you might consider increasing the starting hourly wage or offering a signing bonus to make your job stand apart from others. Along with providing people with greater incentive to apply, offering a bonus or higher hourly wage increase may show potential candidates that you put your employees first, and this can lead to a more positive company morale.
Update Job Postings
Along with changing benefits due to COVID to attract new workers, savvy business owners are also learning to look for candidates who may be willing to begin working right away using the #readytowork hashtags and filters on certain job seeker websites. This new feature allows people who may be actively seeking employment to add the #readytowork hashtag to their resume to let employers know that they’re immediately available. Once you locate one of these resumes, simply reach out to the candidate and schedule an interview at a mutually convenient time.
Highlight Opportunities
One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are only temporary. It would help if you showed that candidates who obtain employment at your company will have stability for the long term. To assist candidates with the understanding that collecting unemployment benefits is a temporary situation, highlight any long-term opportunities for growth that are available to your employees. Think about highlighting the typical career track or even providing different examples of how your employees have advanced with their careers.
Hiring while there’s a pandemic is quite a challenge, even before taking into account those job seekers who may be making more money being unemployed than what they’d make with your company. However, by keeping in mind what you’ve just read about changes in recruitment strategies, you’ll be setting yourself up to find more viable candidates so that you’ll be able to make the hires you need and get back to running your business in the best possible ways.
