By Kathleen Federici, MEd
Many organizations are looking to hire talent to lead their mission in some way or another. According to Employee Benefits News, while many organizations made layoffs at the start of the pandemic, more than 80 percent plan to hire new employees. So the job posting goes up, but where are the qualified applicants? That resume from the retail chain associate doesn’t read as having any of the qualifications for the job. That nurse or teacher who wants a career re-boot has never worked in the industry before. Maybe they could do the job? But wait, what about the required technology skills?
As you recruit, you may find this pool of candidates is missing critical skills to be able to perform a job successfully. Perhaps your organization can start an apprenticeship program to upskill these candidates.
Breaking a role down into easy and generalizable chunks can assist when hiring during the pandemic. Does the role require administrative work? If yes, what projects require that attention to detail? Does the role require customer service skills? If, yes, how has the candidate demonstrated those skills with others in previous roles? Does the role require systems, reporting, or software skills? If yes, what technology skills are required?
Employers have mastered the transition to operating remotely during the pandemic. Building a virtual workforce is the next hurdle employers face as they make plans to rehire this year. Many candidates want to continue to work from home for a myriad of reasons.
Chin up. Hiring during the pandemic can be challenging, but your next round of awesome employees is right around the corner!
Katherine Federici, MEd, is IPMI’s director of professional development.