By S. Pasupathi, Chief Operating Officer, of HirePro.
The world of work has evolved in recent years. Although trends like remote hiring were in practice before 2020, the pandemic undoubtedly served as a catalyst for fast-paced change. The challenges posed by Covid-19 necessitated the quick adoption of technology, automation, and particularly AI among hiring managers across all businesses in India. Given this digital acceleration, many companies and industries had projected that 2020 will herald ambitious hiring and tremendous growth, intensifying the competition for talent. Several industries at the time were getting ready for growth while enabling remote work. Businesses could not afford to cease employing in this new reality.
In order to meet the demands of the Covid era, recruiters had to move rapidly. India has since adopted online screening tools to evaluate potential employees’ skills and behaviors in order to obtain comprehensive insights at each level of the recruiting process. There is no doubt that the year will go down in history as a turning point for the employment sector—marked with trends that will become the new norm for many employers across the world.
The big question remains. Are we entering a new era of touchless hiring?
Let’s explore some possible reasons why this may be true:
Accessing a global talent pool
Hiring global talent without ever having to travel to their country of origin is now possible because of technology. Even for businesses with limited recruitment resources, the integration of technology in recruitment has made it easier to source top talent from anywhere in the world through online job ads, web application systems, video interviewing, or digital onboarding platforms. The ability to access a diverse pool means that recruiters are no longer limited by geographical barriers or restricted to newspaper distribution and a file of known candidates. Both of these factors boost the competitiveness of businesses and increase their capacity to innovate and provide customer service.
Virtualising Interviews
Virtual interviews are without doubt the future of hiring because of their several benefits. In the past, interviews were conducted solely in person. Additionally, it was challenging for candidates in rural areas to make themselves available for interviews. In the recruitment process, video conferencing through platforms and services helped overcome geographic boundaries. It can reduce bias and eliminate the necessity for everyone to be present at the same time and same place physically throughout the interview process. It’s perfect for introduction questions, one-way videos, or screening calls, which hiring managers can assess before inviting candidates for in-person interviews.
Streamlining processes
The recruitment industry has repeatedly tested many methods to allow effective operations that enhance the candidate experience and generate value for organisations. While finding the ideal candidate is encouraging, the candidate must also see the offer through. The post-offer engagement phase used to be a laborious manual process that required numerous trips to the office. With a contactless recruitment strategy enhanced by technology, hiring is now a lot more straightforward and quicker.
Effective onboarding
An effective onboarding process is essential for a positive employee experience. It is a perfect tool to give candidates an overview of the company’s culture, and operational procedures. The hire’s seamless integration into the workforce can also aid in boosting employee productivity and retention. Creating virtual experiences as part of the onboarding campaign to effectively hire during these uncertain times has become crucial to the onboarding process.
Based on these patterns and observations, a contactless hiring culture appears to be the future. Even with all these major transitions in the industry, this is only the tip of the iceberg. A majority of businesses in India will continue to hire either remotely or in a hybrid mode. While employees have grown more accustomed to digitalised processes, employers have also become more tech-savvy to keep up with employees’ rising expectations. Employers are less experimental with technology and more informed and deliberate about where and how to employ it. What we once considered visionary transitions have become the new norm for recruitment.