You're probably no stranger to the hiring process if you're a business owner or manager. That being said, as you look to fill positions that you may have created in order to follow post COVID-19 guidelines, or replace employees that found other work during the shutdown, you'll need a new hiring strategy. It's time to create your "new normal."

This blog covers some changes you should consider making while hiring, as well as a refresher on best practices and helpful forms you'll need to get the job done.

Keep in mind that while we're pros at shift to shift work in many industries, we're not lawyers. This is not official legal advice - if you have questions or concerns about hiring employees, definitely consult a lawyer first.

Setup New Hiring Strategies

Virtual is the new norm

Today's recruitment and hiring processes should be as contactless as possible. Having a plan and the right technology installed is key to conducting successful interviews, training and onboarding, and just the general hiring experience.

If you don't have a software that can help with all of these activities, find one soon! Zoom or Skype are great places to start. Your potential hires have most likely gotten comfortable with doing everything virtually, so showing that you've kept up with the times and have adapted your business will help attract top talent.

Don't wait to start hiring

Sure, you could wait until you're fully reopened and at capacity to start looking for new hires. However, waiting will result in lost time and missed opportunities to find the best people for the job. So don't wait.

Hold first interviews online, check references on potential hires, and get a list together of your top new hire candidates so that when it's time to fully reopen, you'll be able to focus your time on conducting the final interviews and making job offers (the fun part).

Update your benefits package

COVID-19 has really pointed out which benefits really matter - including sick leave policies, health coverage, and any other wellness related offerings.

Potential job seekers have had plenty of time to reflect on what they need benefit wise, so offering the right package could be the deciding factor between your business and your competitor's. Take a look at what you currently offer, and if you can afford to make improvements - do it.

Go remote where you can

Another huge workforce factor change due to COVID-19 is that more employees are capable of remaining productive at home. This adaptation could result in a new wave of remote work across many industries.

If you have a position or positions that could fit in this work from home category, highlight this when looking for new hires. The flexibility is another way to show you're adapting as a business, which will attract top talent.

Update HR policies

If you're allowing employees to work from home, you should have a related policy in place. Set expectations beforehand and clearly lay this out so potential hires can see what working from home means to your business.

Here's a few questions to consider when building your new policy:

• What will proper communication look like?
• What software or tool will be used for communication?
• How will this affect pay?
• What is expected of employees?
  
  

Hiring best practices to keep in mind

Write meaningful job posts

A rushed and poorly written job posting benefits no one. Think about it: inadequate job postings results in under-qualified applicants. Even further, the right applicant may be overlooked because they didn't highlight their more relevant work experiences on their application.

Focus on writing a job description that contains your absolute minimum requirements for the role. It's okay if it's long. This will reduce the number of applicants who don't meet your needs an will increase the amount of applicants who do.

Proper interviewing

Once you get to the interviewing step of the hiring process, the first step is to draft a list of questions. Be very careful, there are several laws around what you can and cannot ask during an interview in order to prevent discrimination.

Make sure you're confident that your interview questions cover everything you need to know while avoiding any discrimination. Also ensure you leave time at the end of interviews for the candidate to ask questions as well. Remember - interviews are not one sided. The candidate needs to make sure this job is a good fit, just like you need to make sure the candidate is a good fit.

Hiring minors

Since summer is right around the corner, a good portion of job seekers right now are minors looking for summer positions. It's great to have an influx of eager workers coming in, but things get a bit more complex when it comes to child labor laws.

Make sure you're informed on the biggest factors to consider when hiring minors.

Never neglect workplace culture

A new hire's ability to fit in the culture you've surely worked hard to cultivate among your team is probably just as important as their qualifications. Make sure you interview for both qualifications AND personality. The worst thing you can do is put all the focus on their qualifications that you overlook key personality traits that could either make or break your team.

Remember when you're making a new hire, they are joining your TEAM. They have to blend in well so productivity, efficiency, and workplace enjoyment are all improving constantly.

If you haven't already, checkout some of our other blogs on how to adapt to COVID-19 and find your new "normal":

• Your Business CAN Improve During COVID-19... Here's How
• COVID-19 Restaurant Survival Guide