Many industries were compelled to suspend recruiting efforts at the onset of the epidemic, forcing them to place current staff on leave or make layoffs. However, when the economy improves, so does employment.

A Change for the Better

One of the most important discussions to emerge from the epidemic is how it has profoundly altered the workplace and the challenges and methods of our work. The most evident trend that many of us have been discussing is the increase in remote working. According to a recent study, flexible working is now a basic expectation, with 66 percent of employees supporting a hybrid model of working remotely.

However, the trend of remote working is not the only change that this pandemic has sparked. Businesses’ methods of recruiting and hiring are evolving as well – they have to. Because if they will not, they will not be able to match, let alone compete with the organisations adapting to the shifting attitudes of work and culture.  HRCoach suggests beginning by putting empathy at the centre of the recruiting process.

Candidates in Their Comfort Zones

The trend of remote working created a private, virtual window into the lives of workers and employers, which resulted in normalising to working from our comfort zone and seeing family members and pets make brief cameos on FaceTime. 

The psychology underlying this is strong, humanising employees at a level never seen before. This has resulted in a push to emphasise and enhance the elusive work-life balance, establishing the necessity for companies to adapt to employee and applicant requirements rather than expecting individuals to adapt to the company.

Anticipatory Anxiety

At the same time, the epidemic caused a lot of concern and tension for those whose employment was jeopardised or lost entirely. 

It has left many people questioning what kind of revolution the digitalisation of work will bring in the future and rethinking their professions, making it even more important for businesses to make a concerted effort day after day to build an atmosphere in which everyone can succeed. 

While competitive pay, bonuses, and perks are appealing, it is also critical that companies adopt a more sympathetic approach to their recruitment procedures to align with this new environment.

Building Rapport

This begins with a clear attempt to grasp every individual’s beliefs and interests right from the very beginning of the interview process. Businesses should also make a concerted effort to include workers in company culture and any extracurricular activities in place to build a more meaningful and happy job experience.

This will allow companies to look at the bigger picture and learn more about the candidates, their experiences, and their beliefs, rather than simply their credentials, resulting in better long-term outcomes for employee retention.

Business executives must demonstrate their ability to be inclusive leaders. This entails being acutely aware of and sympathetic to others, as well as having the guts to harness the potential of diversity in all they and their organisation do. Adopting this strategy elevates our work and has a strong ripple impact on our employees, clients, and cultures.

What to Do?

Indeed, empathy should be emphasised in all businesses’ larger diversity and inclusion programmes, as well as their recruiting procedures. There are several actions and considerations firms may take to improve their recruiting procedures and bring empathy to the forefront, including the following:

1. Gaining Insight

It is critical to look back on how companies helped individuals throughout the epidemic to showcase a company’s worth to their workforce. It’s an excellent litmus test for determining where an organisation has demonstrated compassion and resilience.

2. A Modest Viewpoint

Throughout the recruitment and selection process, interviewers must have a modest demeanour. If businesses strive to create a flawless atmosphere, they will appear deceptive rather than honest — no organisation is perfect.

3. Active Listening

Knowing a candidate’s professional goals may be accomplished through an open discussion with them throughout the interview. This will assist a company in understanding how they can provide that employee with the necessary training to enable them to reach their objectives, which is critical.

4. Establish Trust

People ultimately want to become a part of bringing change and impact. It exemplifies social and cultural sensitivity. It also gives people the impression that they can be accurate representations of their authentic selves. Understanding this point of view, organisations need to give a chance to the candidates to share their views and ideas throughout the interview process.

5. Get the Candidate on Board

Most successful businesses today understand that to be successful, and they must constantly change. In an interview, demonstrating how a firm is accomplishing this, such as deploying modern technological tools or adopting revised ESG targets, may assist in illustrating the candidate’s progress.

Wrapping It Up

Empathy is and should be seen as a critical characteristic among today’s corporate executives. Businesses must establish a supportive and collaborative workplace that people want to become a part of. 

Placing empathy at the heart of any recruiting process will also help organisations attract the appropriate people and help them create honest and transparent connections with new workplaces from the beginning, eventually improving retention.