Technology is establishing a vital role in every sector today. Is that visible in the hiring process too? Undoubtedly, It’s yes. Amid the Covid days, many firms started taking new candidates effectively through Virtual Recruiting.
Through this blog, you can understand the relevance and scope of Virtual Recruiting in the now world.
What is Virtual Recruiting?
As the name suggests, Virtual Recruiting is the process by which recruiters reach out to the candidates virtually. Even before the pandemic period, many firms have familiarized virtual recruiting for remote candidates.
The basic aim of the process is getting the best candidates for your organizational needs but without any physical constraints.
Virtual hiring enables you to reach out to a large number of candidates and cut down excessive recruiting turnovers. Here, technology replaces the face-to-face interviews and make things happen faster than that of traditional hiring methods.
It is important to ensure that the software and tools you use will support seamless services throughout the recruiting process.
The various tools used in virtual recruiting are:
- Video Calling software
- Chat tools
- Virtual event organizer
- Video Resume software
- Automated screening tools
- Live chat
- Chatbot solutions
The tools and strategies used for each job post can be different. Virtual recruiting has gained a place as a requirement than that of an option today. The Internet is a godsend that you can reach any corner of the world now.
Virtual recruiting helps you in getting skilled candidates from different parts of the world without any space or time constraints.
Importance of Virtual Recruiting in the present Scenario
In the current scenario, the major concern of every sector is the restrictions imposed on their workflow. That is, people are restrained to come out of their homes frequently, must follow strict health guidelines, and many more things.
These practices are really necessary to ensure the safety of every human being. Still, how can these restrictions affect managing work systems, productivity, and employees as a whole?
Technology is a boon for many firms and personnel that at least they can ensure functioning the same as in the office through virtual platforms.
Hiring new candidates via virtual platforms is widely used by organizations. Many interviews are postponed and can’t anticipate when they can conduct it. So, recruiters conduct video interviews or simply phonic interviews especially for urgent hiring of key positions.
- Candidates can apply and attend interviews safely from their place.
- Recruiters can stay connected with the candidates throughout the interview process and even conduct telephonic interviews.
- Recruiters can organize online Assessment tests suitable for specific roles.
- Personnel can have internal and external discussions about recruitments without physical travels.
- Effectively review works done by freshers and gives feedback in real-time.
- Cautious recruiting through dedicated apps like Skype, Whatsapp, etc.
Read Also : Staffing vs Recruiting vs Hiring
Effective Virtual Recruitment Strategies
There are certain factors to keep in mind while planning about virtual recruiting. You are not going to engage with any candidates directly and the initial hesitance of introduction/interaction is to be reduced to a great extent. Each candidate should feel the transparency of your firm and the job they apply for.
#1. Create Attractive Job Ads
Social media is one of the ideal means of reaching people. So, posting a job via diverse social networks can gauge a great number of candidates. The content and design you showcase must be enticing and the best candidate for your job need to reach you.
You want to give a clear picture of the job, skills, requirements, and other relevant details in this regard. Designers can compose ad copies in a personalized approach that reflects your firm’s stand and values. Nowadays, job posts with video are also increasing and result in the maximum number of applicants by time.
#2. Applicant Tracking Systems
There are many numbers of ATSs(Applicant Tracking Systems) that act as a logbook of each applicant. These solutions are very useful for the whole hiring stages and save the time of both the candidates and recruiters.
Your job posts get thousands or more resumes. It is hard to sort them manually. Here, ATS pave the way to sort them efficiently using keywords, titles and it even highlights top candidates apt for the job needs.
#3. Well Planned Video Interviews
It is necessary to check whether both the recruiter side and the candidate is ready to attend the interview. They must ensure connectivity and avoid technical issues between the call.
Virtual interviews help recruiters to understand the attitude of the candidate more from that of audio interviews. It saves time and both candidates and recruiters can feel free to ask their questions without any trouble. Recruiters can also assign tasks virtually.
#4. Personality Analysis Tests
So, you are attempting to select a new member of your work family. There are many factors to look upon so that the newcomers give out their best for increasing business values. It can include
- Good communication skills
- Work under Deadlines.
- Highly collaborative.
- Confident in managing things
- Accountability
- Flexibility
There are many other factors that recruiters expect from freshers. It is hard to assess all the above-mentioned things virtually. Conducting a personality test can help you recognize the traits of candidates to a good extent.
Many companies try to sustain their processes amid COVID especially the above-said recruitment procedures. Such a firm must have an expert talent acquisition team that can work with the latest technologies and the same happen with the candidates.
Still, many organizations prefer traditional recruiting methodologies and think of virtual recruiting as a challenging task.
Advantages of Virtual Recruiting
As we discussed above, virtual recruiting is a convenient method that helps to connect recruiters and candidates for a smooth recruiting process. It is an alternative for face-to-face interviews and helps in easy remote hiring stages. Various advantages of virtual recruiting include:
#1. Easy Recruiting
Virtual recruiting is easy to manage. Candidates have reached your firm attracted by your job ads. You can plan assessment tests, interview candidates on the go, mail their job offers, and ensure they are working from home.
The entire process sounds easy, right? This is what happens in virtual recruiting. Still, it is in your hands to plan errorless software and schedules for the same.
#2. Reduces Administrative Burdens
Some companies appoint separate teams for working with purchased recruiting software. While some plan their internal HR teams for working with the entire platform process.
One of the common practices of virtual recruiting includes the HR team working with dedicated recruiting agencies as they find, screen, and filter out the best candidates for you.
Here, the hiring turnovers are also easily managed by using recruitment costs for exemplary services from recruitment agencies themselves.
#3. Immediate & Cost-efficient
Traditional Recruitment stages are elaborate as they can take days or months to complete. But, in the case of virtual hiring, you save both money and time. The job ads you posted, replies from applicants, and many important services are done in real-time with the help of software and the Internet.
One significant advantage is that you can compose campaigns and ads according to the target audience and the medium. If you are planning a job ad on Facebook, you spend a small advertisement cost but gain more exposure. One can easily find the right fit for the job.
#4. Wider Audience
The major advantage of virtual hiring is that it can cross geographical barriers and reach out to remote candidates instantly.
More and more users access the internet each day and your job ads get reached to them very easily through the global network. Social media usage is a habit now. So, your job ads gain great exposure to many kinds of candidates at a time.
#5. Flexibility
The job ads you post can be used in different formats. Newspaper ads are so specific in their design and the same format doesn’t work on social media platforms.
Job posters or Recruiters can manage and control the applications they receive. Once they get the right candidate, they can stop receiving applications too.
It is a great thing that the same ad can be repurposed or convert into a very new ad. Posters can edit, add or delete the job post anytime. They are also durable as newspaper or magazine ads have limited life.
Readers just go through the ad once or when they wish to. But these online ads appear before them on their daily sites like Facebook and live until the poster removes it.
Disadvantages of Virtual Recruiting
Virtual recruiting has numerous advantages as we saw above. But, there are some downsides which we should think about.
#1. Filtering Responses
We are posting a job on the internet and anyone can apply as they receive it. Many candidates are those passionate ones but some people just take time to blandly applying random job posts. So, your workload increases unexpectedly.
You must wade through each application and filter out the unqualified candidates. Here, your job post has to be very specific and describe qualifications accurately.
#2. Gauging a Work Culture
The candidate you recruited virtually, without coming to the office and introducing into your work culture is challenging. Without knowing the workplace or his specific job team, the chance of quitting the job is more.
Here, face to face interviews are so advantageous, both recruiters and candidates can open up their mind and understand the real personality. They can also decide whether they can work with the team once after the interview itself.
#3. Lacks Effectiveness
Every stage happens via software or online tools. It is not sure about every recruitment end up with in-depth analysis for you. The job ads you design must attract applicants.
One should be able to find out what is working and is not for job posts. The ads you post are to be the well optimized and to-the-point approach.
#4. Highly Competitive
The fact is that every company is doing the same thing. They design a job post on social media and gauge candidates. Using the same process makes your firm one among them but not unique.
So, many consider the process of virtual hiring as an ordinary practice. Also, recruiters are forced to pay more for job offers as there are thousands of similar ads published each day.
#5. It’s Informal
Do you know this, that many companies consider virtual recruiting as a very informal type of recruitment? They consider ad posts on social media to portray the wrong image of the company.
Many strong companies and personnel disagree with virtual hiring, especially for executive posts. They also dislike posting their jobs unofficially on social media sites. Some companies post their open positions in leading dailies.
Read Also : How to Hire an App Developer in 2020
Conclusion
Virtual recruiting is an effective way to reach a large number of versatile candidates. It has also some downsides like the newly hired might feel less connection with the whole team.
Still, the company can reap reasonable benefits through well-planned virtual recruitments. It is a truth that virtual hiring has increased opportunities for both job seekers and recruiters.