Assessing candidates, anywhere

Why companies must adapt and cope with the new way of virtually hiring people.

Unlocking tech talent stories

April 15, 2021

Let’s cut to the chase: we’re all very well aware of *The Pandemic* and at this point, pretty much on a first-name basis with remote work.

Even though some companies and candidates had already had some experience with this alternative, now it’s a one of a kind type of moment in labour history. We’re witnessing a massification of remote work, where thousands of companies all over the world saw the majority or the entirety of their employees staying at home, including their potential workforce.

A shift is in motion and the data speaks for itself: according to our 2021 Tech Careers Report, ~60% of candidates prefer working full remote and ~24% a hybrid. It’s a big difference to the ~15% who still prefer face-to-face, possibly the squad that doesn’t have social anxiety.

On top of that, and despite what the current state of the world could make us expect, candidates looking for jobs are receiving more offers than before (3.2 against 2.3 in previous years, according to Landing.Jobs’ database).

It’s a given that the market is booming and that we need to stay on top of both our game and the times we live in. In order to do just that, we need to answer a paramount question:

How can we effectively assess candidates and obtain the quintessential of remote hiring?

  • Going manually through CVs can be very time-consuming, hence why using a screening tool can be a game-changer. Good and effective screening is a must. It allows us to focus on suitable candidates that meet the requirements and reject the ones that don’t match. It’s also a great gatekeeper against biased selection; humanization is awesome, but it also creates room for unconscious subjective evaluation. When delegating the screening to software, the process becomes invariably more objective, unbiased and fast.
  • Online tech assessments are usually part of the deal, and in remote hiring, it continues to be. The challenge here is to be sure that the test is made in an honest way, which is definitely possible with the right software tools. Online testing is an important step to build an objective evaluation, plus it can be done from their couch by simply following a link.
  • On another hand, it’s also important that the candidate has a particular set of personality traits (unintentional Liam Neeson moment). Good news: Online behavioural assessments are also possible. Personality assessments don’t require people to be physically in the same location, as long as they are able to communicate effectively — and video calls can truly make wonders. Candidates can even be a bit more relaxed and show more of themselves since they’ll be sitting in an environment they know (and possibly wearing pyjama bottoms).

This new way of hiring is surely settling in and as challenging as it may seem, it has a lot of benefits:

1 — Companies all over the world can now source and hire candidates from global talent pools, breaking free from geographical constrictions. Companies and candidates can cherry-pick each other in a way that wasn’t possible before.

But there’s more — people who couldn’t relocate or had a more complex schedule are now able to rejoin the workforce all together, expanding the talent pool.

A big plus in having employees in different time zones is the possibility for your business to have a much bigger coverage, virtually being able to operate 24/7. This also means having diversity on a much larger scale — people from different countries and continents with various ways of thinking can now come together and potentially generate more creative solutions.

2 — Remote hiring is fast. There’s no need for the candidate to physically go somewhere and meet the recruiter, thus erasing the time-consuming chaos from scheduling a huge amount of interviews. If we also add the possibility of having an algorithm that automatically picks the more suited CV’s and rejects the others — (un)shameful plug — like we do at Landing.jobs, the time saved can really make a difference. Imagine a world where we’re able to cut the average of 9 days to only 2 when using screening tools; recruiters could invest their energy into other areas of expertise and candidates wouldn’t have to wait long periods of time for an answer.

3 — To put it candidly: it’s cheaper. Usually, the longer the process the more expensive it gets. Having the precious help of software tools can really decrease the cost of almost everything, especially because it saves so much time. But it’s not only the hiring process that’s cheaper, maintaining the employees is as well.

4 — The candidate experience is definitely one of the pillars in which successful hiring processes sit. Being able to hire remotely is what the new generations simply expect as normal. Most of the candidates are Millennials and will continue to be for several years, and let’s not forget Gen Z is coming. Companies need to keep up with the times and meet candidates halfway, especially because they’ll be looking for employers with whom they feel a connection (and probably won’t work for someone who doesn’t know how to start a video call).

But being tech-savvy isn’t all that matters; the whole hiring process will dictate how the candidate views the company and, as mentioned before, time is a big part of it. Lengthy processes where candidates are left without a word are definitely to avoid — after one week of silence they’ll be considering new opportunities, and stretching this to four/five weeks will create not only a negative impression about the company (which can stick for years) but also a negative experience.

It’s a win-win situation to make the process fast, respectful and transparent.

On an ending note…

Remote work isn’t part of a niche anymore, and hiring people became a long-distance activity as well.

What at first could be seen as an obstacle, is in fact a unique opportunity to upgrade not only the hiring process but also how we see and connect with work.

During this shift the hiring process was amplified instead of cut short — it was transformed into something global, almost unlimited, at a lesser price than before and way faster. When done properly, this means cheaper investments for companies and a better overall experience for candidates.

It’s in fact a new world (brave or not, who knows?). While learning how to cruise these new waters, we ended up making room for a more fluid hiring process, with several branches filled with opportunities to grow.

One thing is for sure: the hiring process and how people work will never be as it was before.

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