Many people will agree that COVID-19 has greatly shifted life as we know it. From doing our daily routine, socialising with others, and to conducting our businesses – everything was re-envisioned to include precautions against the virus.
In the field of recruitment, companies and businesses have come up with various ways to keep their businesses afloat and find the right people for the jobs that they have open.
But, how exactly did hiring practices change during the pandemic and what should you do to get the job you are applying for at this time? Here are the ways on how the pandemic changed recruitment and what you can do to improve your chances of being accepted.
AI Technology
Even before the pandemic, companies and businesses that can afford AI technology are using the innovation to the make candidate search, screening, and assessment much faster than traditional means.
AI technology can be programmed to screen thousands of applications from various job sites and pick those which hit certain criteria or keywords. When prospective applicants are selected, the same technology can be used to schedule interviews and even tackle their assessments.
To make sure that you catch the attention of the AI technology, you need to make sure that your resume fits the job opening you are trying to apply for. Your credentials must be written clearly and free from any vague or misleading information that can be flagged down by the company’s system to sort applications.
As far as the interview scheduling is concerned, you must specifically indicate in your application the time you are available and the time zone you are in. This way, you can prevent having mishaps with the technology as this will eventually inform the interviewing officer assigned to your application.
If you will be taking an assessment exam, the best way to prepare for it is to practice using similar problems from the internet, select the appropriate answers based on your knowledge, and take it seriously.
Video Interviews
Recruiters and hiring officers still do fielding phone calls when it comes to sorting out the candidates they want to evaluate and interview as their initial recruitment step. Some are more comfortable scheduling interviews via video calls directly so they can see the interviewee. Video interviews are becoming more popular these days as traditional interviews in the work site are being limited. It can imitate a personal interview that most companies cannot do right now. This will also give employers a better picture of their prospective employees and the opportunity to talk and discuss with them on screen.
If you will be interviewed through a videocall, here are some points to remember:
- Practice the technology that you are going to use. Check your web camera and microphone and make sure that everything is working before your scheduled interview. Also, close other programs while having the interview to avoid getting interruptions and distractions as this will look unprofessional.
- Always look at the camera not at the screen to maintain direct eye contact with your interviewer.
- Prepare for the technical parts of the interview by researching possible questions that they will ask you and practice it with a friend. This way, you can be more at ease in front of the screen.
- Dress professionally as you do in a personal interview from head to toe (or at least from head to waist!) as professional dress code is always expected. Smile and observe your body language too.
- Lastly, prepare your surroundings before the interview. Choose a quiet place without an elaborate backdrop or distractions so that the employer will stay focused on you.
Adaptability
With the pandemic, employers are also going to search for potential candidates who can be flexible with their terms. If there is a need for you to work remotely for the first 6 months of employment, are you willing to do it? If there is a requirement for you to travel to other places once a month, will you be okay with that?
With constant changes due to the lockdown restrictions and mandatory regulations, employers will be looking for candidates that are ready to adapt to these new circumstances. Your future employers will also want to know if you are scalable and flexible during these uncertain economic times so they can easily move you to another position or role in the company.
Conclusion
It is still unknown when this pandemic will end, but these new changes to hiring practices are surely going to stay. As a potential applicant, you must be able to adjust to these changes because if not, you may find yourself unable to keep up with your other candidates and clinch that job offer you are after.
If you are a fellow recruiter, check out these articles:
Worst Interview Stories by Recruiters & Managers
The Difference Between A Recruiter, A HR And A Hiring Manager
Interview with a Recruiter
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MiddleMe 
Thank you for this update on current hiring practices. The idea that companies are using AI to screen resumes and cover letters is sad to read. What has happened to all of the human beings who used to be employed in HR departments? As we human beings replace our fellow workers with computers, we are going to need to come up with new ways to support and re-train all the folks who no longer have jobs. Ah, life in the 21st century…
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I hear you! I guess instead of getting humans to screen through 10,000 job applications, the AI will pick out the 1000 most suitable job applications and then the humans will screen through those and narrow down to the last 10 for the hiring managers to interview.
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WOW
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Kally, another good article – 🙂
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Thank you.
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A nice informative and timely article! Thanks!!
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Thank you very much!
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Yes with other things, hiring too has changed. We have had some new employees joining and they had all the hiring processes done virtually through audio and video calls, and are working remotely.
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Absolutely. Thank you. I appreciate your contribution.
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Reblogged this on Nelson MCBS // Love Alone.
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Great informative post..thanks for sharing👍🏽
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You’re most welcome! Have a great day.
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Nice information. Covid19 has changed many things.
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Thank you very much.
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Don’t you just love looking up at someone’s nose hairs during an interview . . . on either side of the meeting!
Then there’s always a guy in a big Zoom who has a halo from the lights behind him.
I recall being in a Zoom where the “boss” turned off his camera but not his sound; next thing you know we all heard the urinal flushing! 😂. A minute later his more relaxed face was back, and a couple of US had to shut off our cameras and mute as we laughed!!
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Hahaha! Thanks for making me laugh out loud in public!
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With the technology now being utilized in the job search process, I agree many of these changes will likely become more refined and permanent. This entire process is light years ahead of where my world was back in the late 1970s.
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Thank you very much for your contribution.
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Dear friend Kally,
Just when I think you can’t raise the bar of excellence; you prove me wrong.
I’m delighted by your clever, timely and professional POST. (Even when it displays my personal ignorance).
Long retired; my days of recruitment and hiring long past ; I’m grateful not to have had to resort to these NEW-methods. It seems to me, that in dealing with our fellow humans; it might be good to ALWAYS (when possible) treat them as such…..Person to person will never (IMO) be replaced fully by technology. (Heaven forbid).
Excellent POST, thanks again
God Bless, Patrick
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Thank you so much for your comment, Patrick. Your words delighted me. I’m always grateful of your support and kind words.
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As AI now means artificial intelligence, what is Authentic Intelligence?
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You can refer to this link: https://becominghuman.ai/artificial-intelligence-vs-authentic-intelligence-ab1bcd34e8f2
Hope this helps, Donna.
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And how well does AI process rhetorical irony?
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Kally I love you
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Thank you 😊
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Interesting to see the technological development being driven by the pandemic. I know I’m still adjusting to video conferencing, especially where to look. It’s so hard not to look at the eyes of the person I’m talking to despite knowing that their eyes aren’t really there! 😖
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Same here. But staring into the eyes is a bit creepy and confusing if you have more than 2 persons sharing the same screen.
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