In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual business processes have suddenly shot to the top of the agenda, ushering in a new age of work in which employees are comfortable working in their homes and managers are able to communicate across space. We have much to be grateful for in terms of the technology that’s on the market to help businesses thrive in the time of lockdown – but how should companies hire in 2020 and beyond? This article explores best practices when it comes to appointing new workers without ever having met them face to face.
Digital: the New Normal
One of the basic facts about the world is that many parts of our lives are increasingly taking place online. That’s as true of our interpersonal relationships, our entertainment, and our personal lives as it is of the work that we do. In adjusting to this new normal, managers and HR executives must be aware that virtual hiring isn’t bizarre: it’s simply the next step in our increasingly digital lives.
Communications Tech
Another basic tip to begin with: when you’re recruiting virtually, it helps to have the right software in place to do so without stress and technical difficulties. You’ll need to ensure that your conference calling software is glitch-free, for instance, and that you have excellent recruitment software, such as that developed by XCD. You need to be able to communicate within your company about those you may choose to hire – and with these candidates – in order to maintain professionalism at all times.
Expectations
If you advertise your job role online, be sure to set the expectations of your applicants by explaining that you will be hiring your new team member virtually. Put simply, you need to ensure that those looking at your job adverts or considering applying at your company are aware of the fact that you are indeed hiring virtually during this period of lockdown and confusion. Be a comforting voice in this time of crisis and explain your hiring objectives clearly.
Onboarding
There is little doubt that the most challenging aspect of getting a new employee into your team during lockdown is that they will be unable to learn a great deal about their role by sitting down with different people in your office and being shown your software and your business processes in person. The next best thing is to organize an excellent onboarding package, undertaken virtually, in order to better meet the expectations and the hopes of your new employee.
Virtual Payroll
Finally, adding your new employee to the payroll is the cherry on top of the virtual onboarding sundae as far as your HR responsibilities are concerned. Make sure that you’re working with an accurate software package that you can easily add your new employee to, and request from them the details that you need to officially sign them up as a member of your company’s team.
There you have it: five key tips to virtual onboarding that’ll help you bring new members to the team during this period of instability and lockdown.
