How To Overcome The Challenges Of Hiring Executives in a Pandemic
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Hiring for executive positions is not as straightforward as you might think. While a job description is essential to the process, and hiring managers do have an idea of what they’re looking for, details may be fuzzy and more complicated than you think. That’s why there are some key things that every company should consider when hiring for executive positions.
Aside from the existing challenges of hiring new organization leaders, the current pandemic also poses some difficulties for the recruitment team. Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, traditional recruitment tools have been made irrelevant. Recruiting events and conferences are all canceled, and interviews are now conducted remotely.
If you’re the one tasked to do the hiring, here are some common challenges organizations now face when hiring executives during this pandemic and ideas on how these could be overcome:
1. Affordability
Almost all businesses are having a hard time during this pandemic because of the economic recession. Budget cuts and even employee retrenchment had to be made to help the company survive. All organizations know that hiring a new executive costs money because people with top-class talent have higher pay rates.
There’s no real solution to this challenge. Businesses need to look at the bigger picture if they want to hire a good leader to manage company processes. Even if you’re going to expand your business, hiring leaders will not just make it bigger, but it will also help ensure that everything runs smoothly and effectively.
When you invest in leadership, you need to spend a significant amount of money. Make sure that these people are capable of delivering and increasing revenues. If you’re unsure about the person you’re hiring, create short-term contracts or a compensation package that won’t break the bank. Let these candidates understand that you’re paying for their performance, and you’re expecting a certain return.
2. Proven Talent And Experience
When looking to hire executives for your company, it’s imperative to choose experienced talents. While there are qualified people out there who could do the job, keep in mind that not all of them will be experienced. You need a system that can identify and engage candidates who have the experience you require for your enterprise. By doing this, you can be assured that they won’t waste your valuable time or your company’s resources.
Also, you need to know certain red flags during the interview to check if the candidate has proven experience or a professional. One of these red flags involves bragging about other job offers. A professional executive knows their value, so they don’t need to brag during interviews. As a recruiter, you need to be wary of these signs as these candidates may not be suitable for your company.
3. Lack Of Candidates In The Market
One challenge this pandemic brought on recruiters is the lack of established candidates in the market. Many businesses may have retained the leaders in their organization because they can handle various departments and do multiple tasks at once. Those who were let go were employees who were working for five years and less, and found lacking in qualifications for executive positions.
The solution may be challenging, but recruiters should always focus on looking for high potential executive candidates who you know can build your business significantly. Don’t forget to engage and reach out to these candidates continually to cultivate a relationship with them.
4. Addressing Uncertainty
With the rising cases of those affected by this pandemic, there is also a lot of uncertainty when it comes to a person’s employment status regardless if they are in an executive position or not. With many organizations and businesses closing during the health crisis, showing candidates that your company can take care of its executives can be challenging. Showcasing the opposite could instill uncertainty in your candidates, which could prompt them to second-guess their decision to accept your offer.
Assure your candidate that you need them to help in the company’s survival. It will also help if you present some company plans on addressing the current pandemic and how the candidate can help the organization maintain its position in the market. Being open in the interview will increase their trust in the company.
Summary
Remember that by using the right executive to help run your business, the company could run effectively and grow in the right direction. If you plan to expand, hiring the right person to do the job is vital for you to succeed. It would help if you had a checklist of the critical traits executive candidates should have to make the recruitment process easier despite the pandemic’s many challenges.
