Executive job seekers have been reaching out to me with lots of questions. Things are different. There is increased risk everywhere they look, from leaving the perceived stability of their current company to accurately assessing new opportunities remotely.
This got me thinking. Are companies doing anything differently, or have they simply lifted and shifted their entire process to video and hope for the same outcome?
I reached out to my network for answers.
It depends.
Rather than writing about the companies who are business as usual, here's what is exciting:
What companies are doing now
Alignment: Talent acquisition is plugged into company leadership more than ever.
It takes a village: Executives who may not have participated in candidate messaging in the past are now serving a critical role, such as the CEO getting involved to talk about the strategic importance of a position. This messaging is coming directly from someone who is setting strategy to confirm the commitment to the position and reason behind it.
High touch candidate experience: Every search is being treated as an executive search. There is increased attention to preparation, from video interviewing logistics to sentiment.
Deliberate candidate journey mapping: Companies are ensuring the candidate experience reflects the company culture and values. Each interaction matters.
Mission oriented: They are also ensuring that the company’s purpose is showcased through the process. Candidates are drawn to mission more than ever.
Lean on the experts: If a company already has a set of leaders skilled in communicating via video, they are leaning in on those people to participate in the hiring process.
Content creation: Content is king and is playing a role in candidate experience including virtual office tours, highlighting the company’s response to covid, and showcasing company culture.
Rejuvenating the network: Hiring managers and recruiters are utilizing their network more than ever to mitigate risk of hiring people they have never met in-person. They have reached out to former employees, to candidates who have turned them down in the past, or are simply turning their personal network into high gear.
It's time to change the model
There are great things happening in the evolution of talent acquisition. Just as we all started to expect 2-day package delivery (or faster), these processes are evolving and will become the new expectation. Even if you don’t have positions open now, you will.
If you have the luxury of time and resources, now is the time to win. Create a talent strategy that maps to your workforce of the future.
There is incredible talent listening. Are you in the conversation?
I invite you to chat with me about this. Even if you're not hiring, there’s a lot we can do.
It's time to get ready.
512.715.4250
Good resources:
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photo credit: https://jessicaarroyo.com/