We Recruit The Hard-To-Find Candidates...

With the UK unemployment rate rising to 4.8% in the three months to September (BBC, 2020),  it’s safe to say the job market is not what we’re used to. There are so many changes happening in the world which means job seekers and recruiters need to be prepared for interviewing in ways they aren’t used to. This blog looks at digital interviewing in particular and answers why your company should be using Zoom for interviews. 

The Ease of Online Interviews

A lot of companies may be familiar with Zoom thanks to lockdown and working remotely, but Zoom doesn’t have to be used solely for team meetings. It’s one of the easiest tools for businesses to use in interviews. In fact, according to Indeed, more companies are choosing to conduct interviews over Zoom because “it tends to be more convenient for remote positions or initial screening interviews”. So what does this mean from the employers and the candidates perspectives?

From the job seekers point of view, Zoom interviews mean they get to skip the stress of getting stuck in traffic, trying to find the right building and arriving late. While, from the business’ perspective, Zoom calls provide a higher chance of smooth interviews, which reduces the time and money that it takes for them to find the right person for the job. From both perspectives, it’s easy to use, free and is a lifesaver during the Pandemic but it also allows the two parties to converse with each other organically.

Real Conversations

Aside from the odd internet connection problem, Zoom is extremely reliable for both candidates and job seekers. With the current restrictions, some companies prefer job seekers to send in a video of themselves as part of the interview process. However, this may not give the recruiters the best idea of who the candidates really are. According to Twinemployment, 65% of interviewers said that candidates who failed to make eye contact didn’t get the role that they were applying for which can be a real problem with jobseekers recording themselves on their mobiles.

Unlike with these videos, Zoom calls are real conversations. Candidates are speaking to people and not into their phone, which can make it easier to focus on one object. It enables them to become more comfortable in the interview process and they interact as actual people, rather than reading from a script. This in turn allows recruiters to engage with them and assess how they are reacting to the questions being asked and the interview process as a whole. 

While it allows the recruiters to determine whether the candidate is right for the job, it also allows the candidate to add to points the interviewer may have brought up, making the interview process smoother for both parties.

Record the interview to refer back to 

Despite candidates trying their hardest to be the one that recruiters remember, it can be quite difficult for businesses to remember all of their interviews. Which is why Zoom is perfect for interviewers. 

Zoom calls can be recorded, which allows companies to go back over all of their interviews and ensures they are selecting the perfect candidate for them. This also means that interviewers aren’t missing any telling signs (such as the body language of the candidate) when they’re making notes during the interview.

Hiring Internationally

As we briefly mentioned earlier, a lot of businesses already use Zoom for remote work. With only 12% of 4,700 knowledge workers wanting to return to full-time office work after the pandemic (Future Forum Research, 2020), it seems as though there may not be a reason for employees to work in the office at all. Businesses are adapting to not having people in the office at all times, which means they can start to explore their options a little more when it comes to hiring. 

By using Zoom, employees can work in different locations to the office and still be able to communicate with their co-workers. This opens up the interview process globally and ensures that companies aren’t missing out on talent from other areas of the country or even other areas of the world. 

It’s clear that for a world that is constantly changing, employers and employees need to learn to adapt to changes in the workplace. These changes begin with the interview process, and adapting to Zoom interviews will not only benefit the candidate but will also benefit the company hugely. 

A number of our clients have no taken on new staff using zoom interviews with great success. If your not sure how to go about it we would be happy to help you. 

If you enjoyed this blog, check out our blogs on 'Above the keyboard dressing’ and ‘How to run a virtual interview and recruitment process’.

The Precision team can be contacted on 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk 

Specialist Technical & Management staffing business Precision People has launched a new outplacement service to support HR teams managing redundancy programmes.

myjob.coach is an online platform, which enables businesses and their HR teams to support staff being made redundant with access to a range of services and information that will assist them in securing new jobs.

Also with the capability to support individual employees dealing with redundancy, myjobs.coach offers workshops, resources and coaching designed to help businesses and their workforce through the process.

Through its Outplacement Programme, the platform delivers online group workshops, which help staff gain the skills they need to find a new role including perfecting their CV and tips to improve their chance of getting a job offer.

An e-learning resource enables staff to access a wide range of job search tools and information 24 hours a day with video-based training and self-managed learning tools. In addition, myjobs.coach provides tailored support to each employee with one-to-one personal video coaching sessions.

The new platform has been developed by Precision People as it expands its services to clients beyond its core recruitment capabilities.

The Leicester-based business provides recruitment services in the areas of engineering, technical, consultancy and sales, alongside executive search and has been operating in sectors including aerospace, automotive and   construction.

  Phil Walker, Director of Precision People, said: 

“Businesses and HR teams, no matter what their size, will find managing the expected wave of redundancies due across the country, a real challenge. myjobs.coach offers a range of support thatwill help businesses manage the outplacement process in a supportive way.

“Redundancy is a difficult situation for both employer and employee and having the ability to provide a programme of services that will assist with individuals’ future employment prospects will be welcomed by many businesses that regretfully have to reduce their headcount.”

If you would like to find out more about myjobs.coach please email phil@myjobs.coach or call 0845 5700777

During the 2008 recession, the percentage of temporary and contracting workers went up to a whopping 55%. In a normal market, the average is about 25%.  Hopefully, this situation will not last as long and most businesses will be able to bounce back pretty quickly post Covid. 

Are you worried about hiring the wrong person in an uncertain economy? Hiring someone with the wrong skill set or maybe not the right culture fit, could cost your business thousands, and you don’t want to be making mistakes like that right now. 

Have you and your team thought about hiring contractors or temporary staff? Maybe you haven't had much experience dealing with temporary, contracting or interims in the past or maybe you've had an unpleasant experience? Whatever your views, as UK businesses start to put their hiring plans together post pandemic - many will be turning to contigent staff as an option. 

6 Reasons why hiring temporary, contracting or interim staff will help your business recover from Covid. 

1. The jobs market is very different to what is was even 3 months ago. Have there been redundancies in your market or maybe with your competitors? There maybe skilled candidates on the market that didn't expect to find themselves there a few months ago. 

This means there will be excellent candidates on the market, who have unfortunately been made redundant, that you previously had no access to because they were happy in their jobs. Why not take advantage of the market situation and hire these skilled people on a contracting basis to try them out? 

When you hire a contractor you are in effect ‘trying before you buy’. This means if they don’t have the right skills or you discover they aren’t the right culture fit, you can simply and quickly let them go with zero risk to you.  

2. You can hire someone quickly to hit the ground running - no lengthy interviews or on boarding and paperwork with HR. Many contractors and interims bring in a wealth of experience and knowledge from moving from business to business - it could be just what your company needs right now, bring in some expertise! 

3. Maybe your business only needs someone for a short period of time, maybe to cover sickness, maternity or perhaps a project needs completing. Hiring a contractor or temporary person covers that position for as long as you need them. Helping to secure your clients as you complete deadlines. 

4. Your cash flow is protected - we take care of NI, statutory sick pay,  reducing your short-term costs. Hiring temporary or contracting staff means no HR responsibility, no fees to pay, no need to payroll, spreading the cost of hiring and reducing risk. 

5. You only pay for the hours they work, which again reduces your costs.

6. Precision operates a 15 week ‘temporary to permanent’ programme where by the cost of hiring a candidate is spread out over 15 weeks - again reducing your costs.

If you’re company requires more senior- management, but you are reluctant in this present climate to hire someone permanently, then an interim is exactly what you need to help navigate during a crisis or during times where there is lack of management, we can also help with this. 

Orgainsing your business post-pandemic 

If you would like to chat further about how Precision can help your business coming out of Covid - call today on 0116 254 5411 or email phil@precision-people.uk. 

Connect with Phil on Linkedin

Hiring doesn't need to stop! How to move your interviewing, hiring and onboarding process online.