The COVID-19 outbreak has acted as a catalyst for change and has significantly impacted talent identification and recruitment processes. It has further created a scope for relooking at the hiring parameters and reimagining people management to suit new age requirements. 

Identifying the right talent pool

There is a dispersion of skills beyond traditional talent pools. That means that our conventional method of recruitment and channels might not be relevant anymore. When ‘remote working’ emerged as the new concept, this opened doors for more possibilities. As recruiters, the talent pool got larger and went beyond proximity to offices. The companies can collaborate with employees based out of any location and yet drive the business efficiently. 

Companies are therefore investing more in identifying and engaging with ‘people they would like to work with’ as compared to ‘the people who are available to work with.’ This has created a stir in the job market and has led to the increased competition among the recruiters in search of the best fit.

Culture of growth driving resilience

In 2020, when people were forced to work from home, only the companies prepared with the best IT infrastructure could execute it seamlessly. The transition from traditional servers to integrating cloud servers, from desktops to configuring thousands of laptops, and a real-time IT assistance help desk in the smallest possible time was possible because of the adaptive behaviour showcased by facility managers in setting remote offices. These offices are centrally connected and could be easily accessed by their employees from any location, and have been playing a crucial role in ensuring business continuity for the companies.

The right training and growth culture in the companies is directly proportional to the resilience shown by the people in times of crisis.  Talent managers have to be at the nucleus of any transitions being adopted or facilitated by the companies.

Employee engagement in the virtual world

The world has become more virtual for both employees and employers in the last year. The emotional connection which people have with their companies is put on the testing grounds where either the trust gets stronger or leaves a gap that needs immediate attention. In such scenarios, companies that stand with their people not only emerge stronger but also set an example for the rest. The responsibility on the shoulders of talent managers thus becomes imperative where the objective is to safeguard their people and mitigate the risk of attrition. The talent managers have to innovate their ways of engaging with their people and ensuring a better strategy for employee retention to sustain growth.

While the world is in the middle of redevelopment and transforming into a ‘never seen before’ ecosystem, holding hands remains the most treasured act for now.  Furthermore, reskilling and inducing adaptive culture will be the game-changer for the companies and their people, thereby leading the change and growth.