How to Reach Out to Talents During the Covid-19 Crisis 

Some countries around the world are implementing strict lockdown to arrest the spread of Covid-19 cases. The governments also encourage business owners to send their workers home and work remotely, close public places and limit public transportations, as well as postponing or even cancelling public events that attract large attendees.

While some people might think the lockdown and self-quarantine instructions confine their movements, recruiters can actually make the best out of the situation and make a change in their recruiting approach. Recruiters PageGroup, Robert Walters told Reuters that the global pandemic is here and it will invite more cautions and instructions for people to stay home. With this, it will be easier for recruiters to get hold of talents because they will spend more days at home, bored, and on the end of a mobile phone than it was when they were in meetings, walking factories or flying somewhere. That said, job campaigns and ads can easily reach talents as they spend more time on their phone and browsing the internet. 

See also: 4 Best Approach to Interviewing Gen Z Fresh Graduates 

How to approach talents in time of crisis 

During a crisis, approaching and engaging candidates would be different, mostly because the chance of having real discussions and face-to-face meetings would be limited. When this happens, it is advisable to follow these tips. 

Don’t pretend that the crisis is not happening 

The very fatal mistake recruiters often do when approaching candidates during a crisis is that they ignore the real pandemic, said Lori Sylvia, CEO and Founder of Rally Recruitment. This then creates doubt about a company’s leadership, or worse, candidates’ motivations to react to your offer. 

When communicating with your candidates, be sure to clearly emphasise three areas: crisis support, hiring process, and recruiter communication. Inform your candidates on how your company handles and supports employees during a crisis, rather than only focusing on promoting employer’s perks and benefits. In addition, recruiters should state clearly about the changes in hiring protocols during a crisis. Lastly, anticipate candidate’s questions and always update your frequently asked questions. 

Change your approach 

During a pandemic or crisis like today, added Sylvia, it will be more appropriate to project compassion, empathy, stability and hope in your hiring approach. Human connections built from compassion are likely to last longer in a human's mind. Compassion and empathy are also two things that can give more positive feelings to other people. It strengthens one’s motivation and ability to survive. Thus, in a time of Covid-19 crisis like this, this will likely be the best approach to appeal top-talents to work with you. 

Answer the “what’s in it for me?” question

As a recruiter, you also need to possess good marketing skills as you need to market your client’s company to candidates before they are ready to fill up an application. In your marketing recruitment strategy, the question “what’s in it for me?” is vital to answer. Commonly, candidates, customers, or clients would want to know the benefits of joining, buying, or collaborating with you. When answering this question, advised Sylvia, you can uncover and capture the impactful stories that are happening in industry’s decisions and actions while still instilling the value of compassion and empathy. Show a short video, content blog, or infographic on how your current internship or employees find their purpose by working with the company. 

Read also: Recruiter's Guide to Recruiting Candidates with Disability