Scott Hirsch on How COVID-19 Changed the Way Small Businesses Hire — iCrowdNewswire

iCrowd Newswire — Jul 20, 2020

Despite the toll that COVID-19 has had on employment in the U.S., many businesses are still hiring. However, as each state takes its own approach to prevent the spread of the pandemic in the workplace, employers are finding it necessary to address a whole new variety of employee needs and concerns.

Consider Virtual Skills During the Hiring Process

As parents struggle to navigate the world of distance learning for the first time, prospective employees will face similar learning curves in the emerging workforce. “Many employees are going to be working remotely or in modified and different ways to make accommodations for health and safety,” affirms . “That’s why it’s important for CEOs, HR leaders, and hiring managers to consider what additional skills may be needed now. Even if they’re working remotely temporarily, you need to screen potential talent for the skill sets that can make them successful in that environment.”

Accommodate Concerns Over Physical Contact

Manage the Pace of Your Onboarding Process

“We’re so used to being in an in-person environment that allows people to ask their questions, take bathroom breaks, interact with the other employees, and generally get a feel for our company culture,” says Scott O Hirsch . “It’s easy to forget that virtual encounters take away a lot of that experience. New employees don’t have peers sitting next to them whom they can ask their everyday questions — like how to log in or which file they’re supposed to get their information from. Now they have to ask their direct supervisor for every small thing and it can be intimidating. You risk making them feel stranded and overwhelmed because they’re afraid to ask the questions you to ask as a new employee.”

There are a few different ways to alleviate this pressure. First, recommends spacing out onboarding sessions to give new hires a chance to ask questions and interact with others in the office. Giving new hires several scheduled breaks throughout the day gives them the opportunity to absorb all of the new information and observe the company culture. Another suggestion is to assign each new hire an “onboarding ambassador”. This individual should be an employee who has a similar role within the company, but is not someone in management so they can act as a pressure-free mentor. “It’s a little like a buddy system,” laughs Scott Hirsch. “When you’re working remotely, one of the things that’s the hardest to transfer over is a sense of community — of company culture. You want your new employees to feel like they have friends at work — like they fit in and have people to talk to. Otherwise, it can be a very isolating and uncomfortable experience.”

Originally published at https://icrowdnewswire.com on July 21, 2020.