Last Updated on August 31, 2020 by G. T. HR

Are the days of face to face interviews gone?

So much has changed in the job market since COVID-19 arrived. In the area of recruiting, both recruiters and candidates have been forced to adapt to virtual platforms for interviewing, and even going through the complete hiring process from home.

Many companies are unexpectedly finding that hiring without face-to-face interviews is successful.

Working from home is a big change for many recruiters. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many recruiters and candidates are being forced to become familiar with new technology. The majority of candidates have not met face to face with managers but instead through Skype, Zoom, etc., and have accepted jobs to work offsite without issue or fear. Even onboarding has moved online. Many companies are implementing a successful applicant tracking system (ATS) such as myHIRE in order to seamlessly onboard their employees. For example, myHIRE allows for everything from job posting to choosing candidates with WOTC credit awareness. The process continues by allowing the applicant to complete their onboarding new hire packet online (even from their phone!) including uploading required forms, all while allowing the employer to keep track of the process and archive paperwork within the system.

Avoiding recruiting fear in the future

In some cases, new hires have never even met with their managers in person. It’s become a way of doing business in the pandemic. With this virtual process new hires, employees and visitors adhere to safety protocols and local requirements that mandate social distancing, wearing face coverings and completing health self-assessments prior to arriving onsite.

Speaking to the evolution of the hiring process, one recruiter states, “The biggest change to our recruiting process has been the use of video platforms for interviews and onboarding. We always used tools like Teams, Skype, Zoom and RingCentral. [But] now we use them almost exclusively.”

Despite the limits on travel and face-to-face meetings, recruiting is a top priority for many clients as demand for leadership services is rapidly resuming.

Err on the side of hiring with caution

As we are acclimating to this new process of hiring, and onboarding, we find that it is critical to perform background checks on candidates. According to Kim Lewis, employee screening expert, “Now more than ever, service is important, even in this virtual landscape,” Additionally, “Working with a company that can turn around results quickly and smoothly can be the difference between hiring the quality candidate safely.” A company such as MyHRScreens, works to be sure employers can perform quality background checks on candidates as well as existing employees, in the form of ongoing screening and monitoring if necessary. When working with a screening company we find that personal service is a big plus. Eventhough we are virtual, customer service still shines.