Hiring changed dramatically at Pete Fowler Construction in 2020, and that has continued into 2021. What happened? Several things. Our company seeks a very high skill set that is often tough to find via traditional recruiting methods and frequently requires more of a push, headhunting effort than a pull, advertising method. That reality caused us to take a big step back to examine our practices. The top three most effective actions included:
• Personal LinkedIn outreach by the CEO: Our recruiting team contacted individuals within the desired field of expertise via Pete's LinkedIn page. The note was brief (one or two sentences - "I'm looking for smart people to join my team...") and the receiver gets a personalized message from the president of the company. This has been as successful as our paid advertisements, and in fact, created more relevant conversations and referral relationships.
• Re-evaluated job posts: Why were our ads historically unsuccessful in attracting the right candidates? After careful experimentation, it became clear that they were too formal and technical. A new job title and pared-down job description were used to create ads, and the results were overwhelmingly positive. We evolved from nominal success to a scenario in which we have more highly qualified candidates than we have the capacity to hire.
• Sell, sell, sell: When a candidate responds to the first outreach, the courtship has already begun, and it's critical that traditional candidate-centric interviewing be set aside for a more sales- oriented approach. More time is spent talking about our company than in the past - emphasizing our company culture, turnover rates, hiring timeline, a day-in-the-life of a new hire, and our desire for transparency in the hiring process. Noteworthy: We still ask about their work history, skills, reason for leaving, and ask for work samples. We're just more carefully placing those questions throughout the sales conversation/process.
But, isn't this an article about the covid effect on hiring? It is. The question now becomes, were the above measures more effective because of what was going on in the candidate pool? Or, would our results have been the same in 2018 or 2019? While we can't prove it with science, we can confidently assume that the answer is no. With our offices going to remote work, employees continuing to express concerns about in-person meetings as infection rates spike, and a generally unsettled feeling among existing employees, it's not a big leap to feel strongly that the candidate pool is/was also reeling.
While we're not the proverbial ambulance chasers, we have certainly reaped the benefits of a substantial re-investment into our company during the covid shutdowns of 2020 that crippled many organizations. It led to a number of quality candidates due to downsizing, but the most interesting trend was the impact covid had on the mindset of our candidate pool. Top-tier candidates began to look around at what's most important in their lives, their work-life balance, and where they're headed in their current roles. The results were an almost 50/50 split of candidates citing covid as their reason for seeking new employment - half state downsizing and half state rethinking their relationship with their current employer.
Interestingly, as of this writing in mid-September 2021, another transition is taking place. The overwhelmingly large applicant volume of 2020 and early 2021 has slowed, and the remaining volume is at a more "traditional" pace for our specialized hiring. Many applicants have reached, or are nearing, the end of unemployment benefits and are re-entering the workforce. Others accepted any job they could get last year, and they're beginning to grow restless and seeking opportunities to get back to their careers and interests.
As discussion of vaccine mandates, masks, and shutdowns continue in the media, the candidate pool will very likely continue to change. So, where do we go from here? We acknowledge the covid effect on hiring, remain flexible and alert, and continue to take advantage of trends that swing the pendulum in our favor.
