Recruitment: What happens now post-MCO?
Many companies, particularly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), have been put to a rough halt this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, pushing businesses and employers forward to rethink and challenge the prevailing work orders and processes. It is apparent that the existing ways of working will not accommodate to the “new normal”, hence, being adaptive and innovative to the new shift of environment is very crucial to stay in the game, and recruitment is no different. Here are some recruitment practices that are impacted by the outbreak and Movement Control Order (MCO), which we will cover each area in more depth over the next few weeks.
Manpower and Company Structure
In wake of the coronavirus outbreak and global uncertainties, many companies have opted to put recruitment on-hold or to lay off employees. Whilst this can reduce operation costs in the short run, this may also result in manpower shortages when economy recovers. Business owners and HRs should perhaps relook, review and reorganise its manpower needs, and where necessary, equip its existing employees with new skill sets and knowledge to take on new responsibilities to support the changes in how the businesses are expected to operate now. This helps to retain best talents within the company and provide some stability amidst the uncertainties.
Contractual Hiring
Although contractual hiring is commonly practiced in other countries such as the UK, US and Australia, it has always been a taboo and less sought after by job seekers in Malaysia. However, with signs of slowing global economy and a rise in unemployment rate, job seekers are now more opened to consider contractual hiring. This could be a trend moving forward as most employees and job seekers would seek for greater time flexibility under the “new normal”. As a result, business owners and HRs should explore into areas of businesses whereby work can be carried out by contractual employees, as opposed to having a permanent hire, so that process efficiencies can be improved and operation costs can be reduced.
Virtual Hiring and Interviewing
In line with the growing need to socially distance from others, it has become evident that virtual interviews are becoming a need for HRs and hiring managers, and will likely be the de facto practice for hiring under the “new normal”. Apart from being able to contain the outbreak, conducting interviews online also allow interview process to be more efficient, effective and broaden the pool of candidates as the hassle of travelling among the candidates will no longer be an issue. Companies that are not able to adapt and implement virtual interviewing under the “new normal” risk having their hiring process delayed and potentially losing good talents to their competitors.
Virtual Onboarding and Orientation
Whilst many companies have put recruitment to a halt at the wake of this crisis, some companies are still hiring to meet demands of their businesses. However, as most companies continue to practice working from home, it is paramount not to delay the onboarding process in risk of losing good talents to their competitors. Virtual onboarding and orientation could be the solution and the new way forward. With the right strategy and planning, HRs can now onboard new employees virtually whilst ensuring that the new employees are able to fully understand the company’s culture and have a good employee’s experience.