Our recent global health crisis has shaken up how people view basic business practices, from our daily commutes to how to greet our colleagues without the pleasantry of a handshake. The majority of organizations have had to prioritize staying at home by offering work-from-home policies indefinitely. For HR, the shutdown will have a lasting impact on how workers view their workplaces, both good and bad.

For some, going back to the office may feel like returning to a haven where they can concentrate better and cordon off work from the rest of their lives in the pursuit of “work-life balance.” For others, commuting and sitting in an office may just feel increasingly undesirable after months of productivity at home. Still, others have never left their essential positions.

This alternate workplace reality, the pandemic reality, will inform business decisions as we shift from what is necessary to what is possible. Organizations will have to decide what accommodations and necessities during pandemic times will be important to keep as safe, smart, and effective business practices moving forward. For HR, these new practices may become valuable recruitment tools.

You Will Have To Offer Remote Work As A Norm

If working remotely is possible now, why not always? Pre-pandemic, you may have come across the perfect candidate, with the one possible flaw of inquiring about the possibility of working remotely. Now, when you find that top-tier candidate, it may be easier to simply say “yes” to that possibility. In fact, having implemented technological tools that support remote work throughout the pandemic, employers may see the benefits of remote work too. Even as working remotely may require employers to check-in or keep tabs on employees’ efficiency, the flexibility it affords employees may make the workplace even better (as well as redefine “place”). For recruitment, it may not simply be a perk for candidates—it will be an expectation.

Enhancing Your Digital HR Strategies Will Be Vital

From applicant tracking systems, to the virtual interviewing software, to the digital onboarding process, HR has all the technological tools available at its disposal to source, engage, and hire candidates remotely while keeping current employees engaged. Your team may have already had some combination of tech tools in place pre-pandemic, but their implementation will be crucial moving forward—particularly if your company offers more opportunities to work remotely.

Tools for the hiring process are no different. HR tech offers efficiencies and cost-savings for almost all aspects of hiring, and it will be important for companies in their post-pandemic rebuild to stay efficient and create a seamless interview and onboarding process for new hires—even if they are remote workers.

Compensation and Benefits Will Need To Rise To Meet The Moment In Time

While digital HR tools will have a big role to play in the future of HR, the collective consciousness on workers’ safety and compensation will be key to attracting talent, regardless of where a position falls in the great essential/non-essential divide. Essential services are not glamorous—from the cable company to the warehouse to the ER, workers across many industries that have helped and continue to help keep people alive and sane during the pandemic have been asked to put themselves in harm’s way. Some received hazard pay or sick pay; many did not. How companies treat their employees during a time of crisis speaks volumes. Better than any “we care” ad campaign, leaders who prioritize employee engagement, morale, and effective communication through the pandemic will undoubtedly attract more talent in the future and bolster their brand. Organizations that offer sick pay, compensations, and other effective health and safety policies will fare better in their post-pandemic rebuilding efforts, as these “perks” will be a higher priority for candidates moving forward. When HR is tasked to ramp up hiring, organizations that want to accelerate their business will find compensation an invaluable recruitment tool.

Recruitment Marketing And Programmatic Recruitment Will Be Key Hiring Strategies

Job fairs, conventions, and other mass-scale events may not return any time soon. Referrals and digital recruitment marketing and nurturing a talent pool through digital means will be important moving forward, as HR begins to rebuild the workforce during a time of historic unemployment levels. This great pause has led to hiring crunches in essential services and spikes in unemployment across the board. Recruiting after this pivotal moment will require flexibility, even as many businesses are eager to get back to “normal.”

While HR can do a lot now to nurture relationships and bolster their talent network, when it comes time to engage in the job ad campaign, programmatic recruitment needs to enter the process. This system uses AI software to help organizations source quality candidates quickly, by placing ads in front of the right candidates—whether they are actively seeking a job on a job site or casually browsing their social media. The combination of nurturing current talent pools and targeted advertising to source new quality candidates will offer a winning strategy for organizations ready to grow their business.