COVID-19 is rewriting the rules of entry-level recruitment. With many universities sticking with remote or distance learning this fall and spring, “campus recruiting” is less about meeting students on campus and more about hiring candidates over Zoom. One of the biggest challenges is that it can be hard to create an inclusive hiring process when students have varying access to resources. These differences can be more stark than before as more students are living and learning from home.
During our June RippleMatch virtual summit, a major theme we heard is that recruiters are trying to make the whole recruitment process more empathetic in order to better support student job seekers. This can mean checking personal biases about what “professionalism” means, or providing extra care and support throughout the recruitment process to even the playing field. If you are committed to infusing your recruitment strategy with a healthy dose of empathy, start with these five tips.
Remember that not all students have reliable internet access. The last thing a candidate needs is to feel stressed about internet issues and underperform in the interview as a result. If you are conducting a video interview, give the interviewee a few minutes to set up the technology and be more lenient if they’re a few minutes late due to glitches. You should also give the option to conduct interviews over the phone, or offer the opportunity to reschedule an interview if there’s a connectivity issue in the middle of the conversation. Above all, don’t let circumstances out of a candidate’s control affect your assessment of their ability to do a job.
A huge difference from previous campus recruiting seasons is that interviews won’t be taking place on-campus or in-person in a distraction-free office. Keep in mind that many students don’t have access to a dedicated work space, especially if they’re interviewing from home or another shared space. They may be conducting a video interview in their kitchen, their bedroom, or a communal room where they might not be able to block out sounds from others in the house or find a neutral backdrop. Don’t let “unprofessional” interview settings or unexpected interruptions get in the way of the interview! Focus on what makes the candidate a good fit for the role – not how polished they appear on a video screen.
While many recruiters are empathetic about the ongoing situation, that’s not necessarily the case across the entire company. That’s why many recruiters in our virtual summit said they are implementing more unconscious bias training and tightening up their scorecards to ensure that judgments remain more objective. This could mean additional written assessments or coding tests that highlight a candidate’s skills rather than how they appear over videoconference. It’s always important to maintain focus on the candidates’ qualifications rather than their external circumstances, and this is more important now than ever before.
In addition to the usual challenges of entering the workforce for the first time, students are navigating a global pandemic and trying to learn what professionalism means in a virtual world. So become an advocate for these candidates by providing career development resources and support, like virtual networking events, mock interviews, and resume reviews. In fact, professional development is already the top priority for Gen Z candidates, so creating professional development opportunities with the current crisis in mind will make your company further stand out. In addition to general career readiness, recruiters can help students succeed in the company's specific hiring process by providing interview prep materials with the interview schedule and tips for excelling in the interview. Remember to emphasize to students that it’s okay to ask questions about the hiring process in general!
In addition to the tips listed above, don’t shy away from sharing how your company supported its employees and interns this summer through these challenging and unprecedented times. For entry-level roles and internships specifically, sharing how your company transitioned to remote internships and virtual onboarding will show student job seekers that you went the extra mile to keep these entry-level programs afloat. For example – highlighting how you distributed laptops and WiFi hotspots to your interns working remotely would be encouraging to students who may be lacking technical resources and doubting if they should apply for a specific role. Showcasing your virtual summer lunch-and-learn series illustrates that you’re committed to connecting students with company leaders even without in-person contact. Bringing up specific anecdotes or sharing materials like blog posts can show that empathy isn’t just a part of your recruitment process – it’s embedded in the fabric of your organization.
While recruitment has always been a people-focused activity, intentionally adding empathy to your recruitment process is more important than ever. With personal circumstances varying so much due to COVID-19, being sensitive and empathetic will help student job seekers succeed in your interview process while doing their best to navigate this challenging time.