With a record number of Americans unemployed or sidelined in the wake of coronavirus, companies are starting to realize they can’t hold off hiring indefinitely. But, finding top talent in an age of mass applicants while also working remotely is frustrating and elusive for many. The good news is that PrincetonOne can help clients navigate their remote hiring efforts in the age of Covid-19 – while also saving a company valuable time to focus their efforts on other priorities. 

To meet the needs of this new Covid-19 reality, PrincetonOne has kept with the proven aspects of successful recruiting while also expanding and strengthening the technologies essential to screen, attract, and engage top talent.

Recruiting through crisis

In these uncertain times, some truths remain. For example, maintaining a strong network is essential to a good candidate pipeline. And, strong relationships built on trust are, and always will be, critical. To that end, PrincetonOne is simultaneously utilizing the same networks we have always relied on to attract talent. We believe that nothing can replace the critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving that is critical to attracting the best. To that end, we continue our long tradition of leveraging our strong relationships so we can quickly respond to a clients’ needs.

Paired with the traditional, PrincetonOne has also strengthened our existing technology. We are utilizing our text messaging and videoconferencing capabilities to quickly and easily facilitate the communication needed to remotely attract, screen and interview talent for our clients. We understand that, as this crisis continues, hiring can’t be put on hold indefinitely. We are working diligently to meet the needs of clients and candidates to ensure a smooth remote hiring process. The good news is that we have now seen first-hand that hiring remotely doesn’t mean a slower process.

The new norm

In fact, PrincetonOne’s ability to leverage technology effectively has led us to a new norm in hiring that we believe will continue to be in place after the impact of Covid-19 diminishes. Similar to the increase of telemedicine, a candidate no longer has to take additional time to commute to an interview. This drastically opens up a candidate’s availability for interviewing. And, as more companies move toward at least a partial remote workforce, interviewing and onboarding remotely is becoming a way of life.     

Engaging candidates is easy in the Covid-19 market. Finding, engaging, and keeping the right candidate interested in uncertain times is exponentially more difficult. So, in addition to the ease and flexibility of video interviewing, we have significantly increased our texting communications. This allows for flexibility and increased engagement while decreasing the response time needed to move a process forward.

Embrace the art of video interviews

Adapting to new technology can be intimidating, but the number one piece of advice PrincetonOne can give is to let us assist you in embracing video interviewing. Covid-19 or not, it’s here to stay and, believe it or not, has made the process simpler, faster and more effective. All of which only works to speed up the clients’ hiring process.  Some tips to get you started:

• Dress professionally
• Comport yourself in the same manner as a face-to-face
• Utilize a clean, simple background with minimal distractions
• Install the software and test your camera and microphone in advance
• Have a test run with a friend or family member to get comfortable in front of the camera

Communication skills are more imperative than ever when interviewing on camera. Practice asking and answering questions with 20- to 30-second responses, using three or four sentences maximum to get your thoughts across. When speaking, be sure to look at the camera to help facilitate the feeling of virtual eye contact. Practice the delay that can occur in advance. You will want to commit to the end of your question or response to avoid talking over each other – succinct is key in the video interview.

Become a wizard at text messaging

Change is hard. The idea of text messaging about something as important as a career can seem counterintuitive. But, in today’s world, it is how many are most comfortable communicating. This by no means will replace the importance of a virtual or face-to-face interview, but we understand that candidate engagement has to take more forms and be fluid. And, as with video interviewing, having technology avenues that make communication easier helps speed up the process and get a candidate placed faster than ever. Some tips for effective texting:

• Take time to check and recheck spelling
• Don’t assume auto-correct is correct
• Try to ensure your response is professional and upbeat
• Let some of your personality shine – an appropriately placed smile emoji won’t hurt

How PrincetonOne can help

No one understands better than PrincetonOne – hiring is hard. Hiring remotely in a pandemic that has flooded the market with incredible numbers of applicants feels truly impossible. But, you don’t have to let Covid-19 continue to slow you down or, worse, put your hiring plans on hold.

PrincetonOne’s network and pipeline of quality candidates is stronger than ever. Combining our traditional networking capabilities while expanding on our existing technology has afforded us the ability to respond quickly to our clients’ needs in this unprecedented time. Contact us today to see how our tailored solutions can help you successfully navigate remote hiring in the time of Covid-19.