Category: COVID-19

Best Practices for Using Virtual Talent Solutions with Carter McHugh

Posted on by jpatel

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a mini-series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.  

This profile shares insights from PeopleScout Vice President of Technology Carter McHugh. Carter brings more than 22 years of experience in building world-class software solutions for businesses and consumers. In his role at PeopleScout, his passion is creating a culture of technology excellence at a global scale and delighting customers with innovative software solutions that improve their people and business processes. Prior to joining PeopleScout, Carter held various executive technology roles at CSG International, a leading provider of enterprise revenue management and customer engagement solutions for the telecommunication industry. 

Carter shared his insights on best practices for using virtual talent solutions from his home office in Chicago.  

How does cloud computing enable virtual hiring solutions? What would they look like if we didn’t have this type of technology? 

Great companies have been investing heavily in modernizing their technology infrastructure by enlisting the help of major cloud computing platforms like Amazon with their AWS offering, Microsoft with their Azure offering and Google with their Google cloud platform. These companies are experts in providing secure, always on, and really most importantly, managed infrastructure and platform services. Through automation, these services seamlessly support elastic demand — meaning they can rapidly scale up when they’re required to due to extra usage, and they can also scale back down when they’re not as heavily utilized.  

In just a matter of weeks, the world has shifted rapidly to fully digitalizing their work requirements, resulting in increased network bandwidth, processing and data storage requirements. Without these managed computing services, companies would be understaffed and would lack both the data center equipment and the automated operations necessary to handle such a rapid increase brought on by virtual talent solutions. 

Here at PeopleScout, our proprietary tool, Affinix™ talent technology, and the technology partners we use are all designed to take advantage of these cloud computing services. So, we’ve been able to respond very quickly and ensure that our clients can manage this sudden shift away from traditional, face-to-face interviewing into digital interviewing and virtual hiring throughout their talent acquisition process. 

These services aren’t limitless. When we experience outages, what’s happening and why? 

I think almost everyone can recall times when they’ve sat down to stream their favorite show or movie and it’s getting interrupted, or they’re seeing a little circle spinning. A lot of that is due to high network congestion or just an overload of too many people trying to access the service at once. As good as these cloud competing platforms are in their ability to provide this highly available, scalable virtual infrastructure and these great application services — it isn’t totally magic.  

Somewhere there still exists physical computers, networks, digital storage and in a lot of cases, people who are still running and working very hard to make all of this possible. So, when too many of these resources are requested all at the same time, they all still have to compete for that same available physical resource. Things have to wait their turn to get processed, so that’s when you see the service degradation and the digital disruptions. Sometimes that can result in a lot of end user frustration, and companies work very hard to avoid this. But again, it’s not easy to avoid in a situation like we’re facing today with such a rapid shift into the fully digital experience we’re witnessing right now. 

As organizations rely more heavily on these services for their talent acquisition solutions, what are some best practices to avoid outages? 

Right now, we’re all staying home and practicing social distancing to help flatten the curve to mitigate overwhelming our critical medical equipment and personnel during the COVID-19 crisis. A similar pattern applies to peak digital technology load used during the workday.  

For example, think about when you use a high definition video for a live interview, especially with multiple participants. Imagine you have a hiring manager and several members of a team and they’re all connecting on their webcams with a candidate and trying to complete a live interview. Many organizations across the world are all doing this during the peak business hours between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and all of this combined can really overwhelm those services. 

Some good ways to work around this are for talent acquisition teams to: 

  • Reduce or shift live interview schedules with candidates. Most digital interviewing technology, in addition to having live interview capabilities, offer on-demand interview capabilities. This allows hiring managers to pre-record themselves asking interview questions and make them available via a link to an applicant, who can then choose a time and place of their convenience to record their answers. This can ease the burden of having to do everything live, and candidates can complete an interview without the risk of real-time disruption due to service degradation or unavailability. 
  • Use text or voice only interviews. This can be especially useful for initial screening interviews. Once you’ve narrowed down your candidate slate to just a few finalists, you can conduct interviews with live video to help reduce the peak usage load for some of these technologies.  

It’s also important for companies and teams to ensure that the digital technologies they’re using employ best practices, including data security and consent. When you’re using these tools with your team and candidates, make sure you’re getting their informed consent to participate in the interviews and recordings using the technology. 

Right now, we’re dealing with a relatively short-term crisis, but we could see some permanent changes to the way people get hired and do work. What changes do you anticipate going forward? 

With any new technology that’s introduced, there are always people who are early adopters and those who are more hesitant. What’s unique in this crisis is that companies that may have been slower to embrace some of the new virtual talent solutions and talent acquisition technologies now have no choice but to adopt these very rapidly — which can really push them out of their comfort zone. They may have felt that using a video technology wouldn’t allow them to deeply connect with their applicant, or maybe they feared embarrassment or looking bad if the technology failed during an interview. Those were all certainly legitimate concerns, but ones that were very rapidly removed in this crisis. 

And as companies have been forced to embrace these new technologies, they’re becoming more comfortable with this new normal. They’ll soon start to realize that they may have been trying to get many candidates to interview in-person who may not have been a good fit, and a video interview may have saved time and resources. They’ll also see that the younger generation of folks who are comfortable with technology may actually be seeking out and really appreciate the ability to interact with technology enabled companies and talent acquisition teams that allow them to set their own interview schedules. 

I really believe that once this crisis passes, we’ll definitely see permanent changes to many talent acquisition teams’ processes and they’ll be looking to keep the technologies that they’ve been using. They’ll probably be increasing the use of these technologies, really designing their processes and their candidate engagement more so around virtual solutions. 

What other types of tools do you see becoming essential for virtual talent solutions? 

The hiring process is definitely two way — candidates are just as interested in if the role, company, people and culture are a good fit for them as the hiring manager is trying to figure out if the candidate is a good fit for the job. Onsite team interviews and guided facilities tours have traditionally been a really important part the final interview stages so the candidate and hiring manager can get really sold on whether this is the right place for them and if this is the right candidate for the team.  

Seeing the actual what, where and how teams and companies work has always been critical for candidates to picture themselves in a role and make the final decision on whether to accept or decline an offer. With the potential for increasing remote work as teams are more distributed than ever across the globe, some forward-thinking companies are looking ahead with digital onboarding tools. These are tools that bring together team videos, leadership interviews, daily work instructions, examples of people in the role doing the work, and in some cases using augmented or virtual reality scenarios that can create a simulated work environment for a candidate. 

All of these things go a tremendously long way in engaging the best candidates with a modern, consumer-like experience that they’re so used to. This also has the benefit of streamlining these talent acquisition processes, so it benefits both sides. It ensures the candidates and hiring managers all have the best information to make what is really one of the most important decisions of their lives. 

Are there any final thoughts on virtual talent solutions you’d like to leave us with? 

We are truly living in some extraordinary times right now, and I’ve seen how companies all over the globe are reacting quickly and responding to the changes COVID-19 has brought to the workforce. It’s impressive to see the capabilities companies have implemented to enable their workforce, help their employees and continue to find the best talent they can to run their businesses in these truly unprecedented times. 

Keeping Candidates and Employees Safe with a Virtual Hiring Solution with Allison Brigden

Posted on by edyson

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a mini-series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

This profile shares insights from PeopleScout Global Leader of Affinix Client Success and Strategy, Allison Brigden, on transitioning to a virtual talent acquisition solution. Allison leads the Affinix Client Success Team and our strategic technology partnerships.

Allison shared her insights about virtual hiring solutions from her home in Chicago.

Allison, we know that things are hard right now, but a lot of organizations that provide essential goods and services need to keep hiring and it’s important to keep both employees and candidates safe during the process. What’s the best way to do this?

The best way to do that is to continue your recruiting process, but do it virtually. Recruiting has undergone a digital transformation and essentially all of the recruiting steps can be handled virtually. By moving to this type of process, you can provide access to jobs in a completely safe environment without contact for both the employer and the job seeker. Of course, candidates have been able to apply online for a long time and recruiters can review resumes online, but most interviews have still been done in person. 

Interviews can be done virtually through technology that allows you to have a live, two-way video or a pre-recorded video that the candidate can do on their timeline, at their convenience. Later, the audio or video recording can be reviewed by both the recruiter and the hiring manager.

This technology can easily support a process that can be fully virtual from the time candidates apply through the offer and onboarding. As I said, the technology has been available for a while, but it hasn’t been fully adopted. This is an opportune time for us to use the available technology. 

A virtual hiring solution allows us to put health and safety first, but also provide access to jobs for those who need one during this challenging time. There’s also been a huge spike in jobs for remote workers in the past few weeks. A virtual hiring solution is directly aligned to that remote work environment as well, so it’s a very good time to introduce that and transition to a virtual process for your recruiting.

So, what does a virtual talent acquisition solution look like?

A virtual hiring solution leverages technology, but it can also have a highly personal touch. By using technologies to their full advantage, recruiters can and will have more time to spend with applicants. Technology can engage one applicant with multiple interviewers and live two-way video engagement. You can even have a panel interview with five different interviewers connecting with a candidate at the same time.

You should strive to make your virtual conversations feel more personal, just because you are leveraging technology doesn’t mean that you have to lose that personal touch as part of the process.

To further answer this question, I think a virtual hiring solution should involve the following components:

First, you should have an easy application that can be done on a mobile phone. It should feel like an online shopping experience and should only take four to eight minutes. There should also be an immediate next step, so that the applicant can drive the process.

This could be a text exchange where you’re asking questions about the interview schedule or the requirements of the job, or it can be a video exchange or a candidate-friendly assessment process. All this can be done on their mobile phone. 

Another really important component is automated self-scheduling. This allows the candidate to look at the available interview times and select one for themselves, either via text or via an online web experience. This also allows candidates to drive that next step – whether it’s a phone interview with the recruiter or a live video interview. Giving the candidate the ability to drive forward in the process is also a very important component of a virtual hiring solution.

The offer and the post-offer process can also be done virtually. This has been done over the phone for a long time, but there are also more options for a personalized and engaging onboarding experience, which can help right now when people are feeling a little bit isolated or disconnected. 

As an example, after someone has accepted an offer have a welcome video sent to their phone or preferred device where you welcome them and tell them what to expect on their first day. 

The entire virtual hiring process can be fully branded to elevate your employer brand and the connection you have with applicants. These are the components you’d want to have in place while building your virtual process.

In summary, a virtual hiring solution can be very safe while still being highly effective. It doesn’t require contact, but it also gives you that chance to connect with potential new employees and provide them a personalized experience.

Can you tell me some of the short-term and long-term benefits that people would see with a virtual hiring solution?

Things are changing quickly and it’s very important to remember that we’re all in this together and we need to be understanding and flexible as things develop. PeopleScout can definitely help with both short-term benefits for the job seeker as well as long-term benefits for the company. 

Short-term benefits are fairly clear. The virtual interview and scheduling process provides a completely safe, no-contact method to further the recruiting process, which is a clear short-term benefit. Another short-term benefit is speed-to-hire. We typically see a reduction of four to eight days in the time it takes to fill a job.

Virtual interviews and automated scheduling reduce the amount of time it takes to fill a job and that’s a short-term benefit in getting an essential worker on the job sooner. By providing a more automated applicant-driven process, you can enhance the candidate experience and lead to acquiring better talent faster. 

Virtual interviews and automated scheduling are also a long-term benefit because companies will see improvements in their business outcomes as people reach productivity faster.  A few additional benefits include saving money and travel costs for interviews, if you would normally have candidates travel in for an interview and a lower overall cost-per-hire.

Once you have a virtual process in place, you don’t need to return to previous hiring practices, you can continue the virtual process and reap the same benefits.

Giving candidates more control in the process, whether that be the option to record an on-demand video or audio interview, or scheduling an interview themselves, puts them in a position of controlling the process, or driving the next step, which is a great improvement in the candidate experience. If you implement this virtual process today, you’ll see these short-term and long-term benefits that you can carry forward as the future unfolds.

How do you transition or implement a virtual hiring solution?

The good news here is that this transition is more of a light lift than a heavy lift. Most likely, a large part of an employer’s process is already virtual. Everyone can apply online. Recruiters can work online to interact with the systems already in place.

Mostly you need to focus on the steps that are traditionally face-to-face, like the interview itself or some parts of the onboarding process. You probably don’t need to overhaul the whole application and hiring process, but rather just introduce this virtual interviewing and scheduling component. And, if you’re working with a provider, like a recruitment process outsourcing partner, they can actually handle much of that transition for you. Even if you just have an in-house team, it’s not a very difficult transition to make.

The biggest challenge will be the adoption and training. I would definitely want to have an employer focus their efforts on helping the hiring managers understand the process and share the short-term and long-term benefits so that they can drive adoption within their organization.

For a lot of organizations, hiring face-to-face may be deeply ingrained into the culture. How can you make virtual interviewing work in a way that still feels authentic and personal for both the hiring manager and the candidate?

A big part of this is comfort level. And the only way to truly get comfortable with something is to start using it. So, the comfort level will increase for everyone involved as they continue to use the technology. This is true for candidates too. The first time they do an interview like this, they might have increased nervousness. 

After they’ve been through it once, we’ve seen that the next time they become more comfortable. But there are things you can do to make it the best experience possible, and to make it feel authentic and personal.

Even though this is a virtual interview, as a recruiter, you want to be prepared so that you have meaningful questions to ask. Make sure you have pertinent information about the job on-hand, and make sure you’ve reviewed the resumes so you’re not going in cold to this interview experience.

As a candidate, you want to be sure that you have the same level of professionalism that you would have in a face-to-face environment. This extends to not just how you dress for the interview, but making sure that you have a quiet place to participate, etc. Another best practice would be to test the technology first. Most virtual interviewing technologies allow you to test your video and your sound, so you’re able to see what the video looks like before you begin the process. 

For employers, I also recommend testing your connections and making sure everything looks and sounds good. Once the video interviews begins you should also reinforce your employer brand by letting the candidate know unique things about your company culture that may appeal to the candidate. Displaying your company culture is important during the virtual hiring process, as candidates do not have to opportunity to visit your facility.

Beyond displaying your company culture and employer brand, you need to make sure you ask the right questions during the interview to better understand a candidate’s experience and competencies, and very importantly, communicate openly and authentically about the role and your expectations. 

After the interview is done, it’s important to provide some sort of feedback to the candidate, and let them know what the next step is in the process. Whether or not a candidate is moving forward in the process or not, provide them that information in a timely way so they’re not left wondering and feeling disconnected from your brand and keep all of the interactions warm. 

Are there any final thoughts you’d like to leave us with?

I would just say that it is important for those essential workers that we need in the healthcare industry and front line retail and essential goods industries to be able to hire at this time. Being able to move forward with this process and keep recruiters busy and employed to fill these critical jobs is very important and it’s a great way to help in this uncertain time. And then lastly, I would just say keep safe everyone. Follow the recommendations of the CDC and the world health organization and we will all come through this challenging time together.

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Center. 

Building a Modern Business Continuity Plan

Posted on by jpatel

With the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), many companies have had to put their business continuity plans to the test — shedding light into areas where their plans may not have been as complete or effective as expected. Without a solid and tested business continuity plan in place, organizations may find themselves confused — which can lead to delayed response time and in some cases, a negative impact to the services or products a business provides. 

In this article, I’ll outline the importance of having a business continuity plan, tips for creating a thorough plan and who should be involved in the planning process. 

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The Importance of Having a Business Continuity Plan 

Before I highlight its purpose, let’s start with the basic definition of a business continuity plan. It can be defined as: 

A step-by-step business strategy built to be executed at a time when there is a disruption in services to protect people and assets and have the ability to resume operations in an expedient and controlled fashion. In addition, it identifies requirements and an execution strategy related to business operations and people.  

It’s important to have a thorough and complete plan because it’s the only way to ensure organizations are effectively prepared for a business interruption. A solid plan enables organizations to continue critical business processes to minimize the impacts to customers and employees. 

As an example, our business continuity plans at PeopleScout allow us to continue service delivery to clients in any type of adverse condition and lower the overall cost of disruption from incidents, all while ensuring we are meeting our contractual obligations. When it comes to our clients, we always make sure we have a current, tested business continuity plan in place to effectively support their business in any situation.  

Creating a Thorough and Complete Plan 

What should the business continuity plan look like? 

First, it’s important to note that “thorough and complete” does not necessarily mean “complicated” or “difficult to understand.” Also, the technology used to capture the details of the plan is less important than the accessibility of the details that are included along with the plan itself. 

An effective business continuity plan should clearly define: 

  • What to do 
  • How to do it 
  • Who will do it 
  • When to do it 

In addition, a business continuity plan should be easy to use and be detailed enough for any team member to successfully execute. When putting your plan together, take these components into consideration: 

  • Identification of the planning team 
  • Defined processes 
  • Employee list/call list to reach out to 
  • Vital records associated with the process 
  • Telecom needs 
  • Work area recovery strategies 
  • Applications (software, equipment, supplies) 

What steps should an organization take when building the plan? 

While certain events cannot be planned for, the optimum scenario is to build the business continuity plan when there isn’t an event or disaster happening. Attempting to develop real-time responses during a crisis situation is much more difficult than following a plan that was already created.  

When building your plan, it is important to evaluate, identify and ask questions. 

  • Evaluate your organization. Understand the unique needs based on location, technology that’s used, number of employees, processes that are completed, etc.   
  • Identify the key participants to be included in the planning effort. This should include a combination of leaders and subject matter experts.  
  • Ask questions! It’s in the answers to those questions that you will truly understand what is needed to build an effective plan. 

After you do those three things, the basic methodology that a company should use to finalize their plan includes: 

Strategic Planning Phase: This is the phase that prepares us for the incident. It includes risk analysis (what could go wrong?), business impact analysis (what are the maximum acceptable downtimes?), requirements analysis (what do we need to recover?) and recovery options (how will we recover?).  

Tactical Planning Phase: This phase tells us how to respond to the incident. The organization should ensure effective documentation of how to engage the recovery option when the time comes. Lay the groundwork for what you would need to do in the event you need to execute your plan. 

Consider these tips for building a thorough and complete business continuity plan: 

  • Always look for opportunities to improve your plan. The plan should be a living, breathing document that is reviewed on a regular cadence. 
  • Consider hypothetical situations and plan accordingly. If you change how you do things today, consider how it impacts your business continuity strategies. Do they also need to change? 
  • Ask yourself: Is your plan detailed enough to allow junior-level team members to execute the plan at time of incident if your planning team is compromised? 
  • Lead tabletop exercises to discover other opportunities to improve your program and plans. Does everyone on your team know what is expected of them during a business interruption incident?  

For more information on tabletop exercises and who should be involved in them, listen to this article’s accompanying podcast.  

Advice for Developing Your First Business Continuity Plan 

When you think about developing a business continuity plan, especially for the first time, it’s very easy to get paralyzed when you’re starting with a blank sheet of paper. One thing to remember is that the primary objective is planning — this is what creates the ability to recover.  

So, physically writing the plan or documenting specific instructions is the secondary objective. Look at your plan and ask: 

  • Does it clearly state what to do? 
  • Does it indicate how to do it? 
  • Does it reflect who does it? 
  • Does it identify when to do it? 

If the answer to those four questions is yes, and you verify that to be true through the process of testing, then you’re sure to have a plan that should serve you well in the event of an incident and ensure you are prepared for any event that may occur.  

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Center. 

COVID-19 Series: Best Practices for Using Virtual Talent Solutions

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs. Many organizations are also now adapting to a newly virtual workforce.

In that spirit, this podcast shares insights from PeopleScout Vice President of Technology Carter McHugh on best practices for using virtual talent solutions.

Carter brings more than 22 years of experience in building world-class software solutions for businesses and consumers. In his role at PeopleScout, his passion is creating a culture of technology excellence at a global scale and delighting customers with innovative software solutions that improve their people and business. Prior to joining PeopleScout, Carter held various executive technology roles at CSG International, a leading provider of enterprise revenue management and customer engagement solutions for the telecommunication industry.

How to Successfully Engage with Remote Work Teams

Posted on by jpatel

While remote work is new for some — especially amidst the changes that organizations have implemented since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) across the globe —  I have been working from a home office off and on for almost 20 years, and it’s allowed me to be uniquely prepared for the new reality that COVID-19 has brought to the workforce. 

I have been fortunate to work for a few companies, including PeopleScout, who were very comfortable with a virtual work environment — in some cases, almost everybody in the organization was working remotely. I also worked for several years where the culture was the opposite, and it would have been impossible for me to advance in my career if I was unable to physically come into the office each day. That experience really solidified what I already knew — I thrive in a remote work environment. 

The experience I’ve had working remote for most of my career has been an absolute blessing. It’s allowed me to spend extra time with my kids, work flexible hours and form relationships with colleagues who I would not have met if I were only working in an office. 

At PeopleScout, nearly half our teams were regularly working remote before COVID-19 social distancing protocols were put in place, and our experience managing these remote teams has helped in the transition as that number increases. 

In this article, I’ll share how to determine whether a remote work strategy is right for your organization during this time, highlight some best practices for engaging and managing a team of remote workers and outline the reasons why remote work matters. 

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Is Remote Work Right for Your Organization? 

Due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols, many people who wouldn’t normally fit the criteria for remote work are now adjusting to working virtually. However, in a scenario when you have the choice for whether a role should be remote, there are some ways you can help make that determination.  

How can you be sure if a remote work program fits into your organization? Consider the following: 

Does your team need to be together? 

If your team works best with a lot of hands-on collaboration, like brainstorming sessions, whiteboarding, and other in-person activities, shifting to remote might be challenging. But if you find that it isn’t truly necessary for each team member to meet face-to-face each day, a virtual strategy could work. Consider collaborative documents and team video calls to offset the facetime you’d be missing if everyone were in the office. 

Do my employees have the tools they need to work virtually? 

In order to successfully communicate and complete tasks, a remote work strategy is dependent on workers having access to a computer, internet and phone. If they do, you’ll also want to restructure your onboarding process to account for remote workers. Although virtual workers can work flexible hours, you’ll want to make sure they understand if there are any specific hours they are required to be “online.” Also, ensure everyone is aware of any time zone differences that could impact communication. 

Can roles be converted to remote? 

Certain roles, such as client-facing or other positions where working in person is a necessity, might not be able to shift to remote work as easily as positions where a person primarily works on a computer. Alternately, if your clients are spread over a wide geography, a virtual worker might be closer to a client and be able to provide even better service than an employee in your main office. Consider offering other benefits, perks and flexible work options to employees where full-time virtual work isn’t a viable option to ensure that no employee feels left out.  

Remote work doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There’s a spectrum when it comes to flexible work options, and here are a few examples: 

  • Part-time telecommuting  
  • Weekly/monthly work from home days 
  • Sponsored co-working spaces outside of the office 

What Does a Successful Remote Team Look Like? 

Whether an employee is newly hired for a remote role or you’re transitioning an existing position to remote due to COVID-19, utilizing the right technology is critical. Tools like Slack, Asana and Zoom can simplify employee collaboration and serve as a substitute for face-to-face interactions in a virtual environment.  

In addition to utilizing these communication tools, here are some additional tips for staying connected with remote workers that I use while leading teams at PeopleScout:  

  • Set up regular phone calls. I make sure to schedule weekly check-ins with each of my team members to see how they are doing and to stay aligned on project updates.  
  • Embrace informality. When teams are working from a large distance apart, informal communication (in addition to necessary formal conversations like meetings and conferences) can help foster strong connections between team members. Sometimes I’ll send team members a quick text message or IM to check in and remind them I’m available if they need anything. 
  • Celebrate successes. In an environment where it can be easy to feel secluded, remember to personally thank team members for all they do to contribute to the goals of the organization. 
  • Try new ways of connecting. It’s important that your virtual team doesn’t feel left out from events that may be occurring in the main office. Each year, my team holds a virtual holiday party where we all get together for an hour or so to bring our little community together and reflect on the year’s successes. 
  • Capitalize on face-to-face interactions. While travel is currently limited, when I’m able to visit a PeopleScout office or a town where a team member lives, I’ll always make a point to try to schedule a lunch or coffee break to catch up with colleagues in-person. 
  • Communicate purposefully. Be intentional when reaching out to people. Especially while we are all no doubt facing uncertainty, stress and anxiety about the current COVID-19 situation, be sure to remember to check in and make sure your team members are doing okay. We’re all facing this incredible challenge together, and your team members should feel that their manager truly cares. 

Another important engagement strategy is fostering company culture, which can be difficult to do successfully when not everyone is together in an office each day. At PeopleScout, we have our DNA culture principles which make us who we are. To ensure my team feels connected to these culture principles, I make a point to celebrate each of their individual characteristics. 

One of the beautiful things about having a virtual team is that it allows for a diverse workforce full of people with different backgrounds, talents, experiences, and points of view. Each person brings something unique to the team which continues to add value to our clients in ways that a small local team may not be able to.  

Remote Work is Here to Stay 

While at one time it may have seemed like a fleeting trend, remote work has proved it’s far from temporary. Virtual work has established itself as a workplace norm, and with the challenges brought upon by the outbreak of COVID-19, it doesn’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.  

It’s in the Numbers 

66% – A 2019 report by Zapier shows that 2 in 3 knowledge workers think the traditional office will be obsolete by 2030.  

69% – According to data from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), organizations have increasingly offered telecommuting options over the last five years, with ad hoc telecommuting showing the greatest growth. At 69%, it’s up 13% from 2015. 

74% – 74% of U.S. knowledge workers would be willing to quit their job to work remote, and 26% have already done so, according to Zapier. 

It’s What Employees Want 

According to SHRM, just over a quarter of organizations already offer full-time telecommuting, so setting up a strong remote work system before the rest of the competition can help you stand out in candidates’ eyes.  

Virtual work has benefits for both employees and employers. The leading reasons employees want remote work options are to save money, to be able to work anywhere and have more time with family. Many employees also say they’re more productive at home, and this increased productivity carries over into the organization. In addition, remote work can have a positive impact on the mental health of employees, leading to a stronger company culture and overall employee experience.  

Working Together Toward Remote Work Success 

As you implement a remote work strategy into your organization, especially during these uncertain times, it’s important to lead your teams with a lot of understanding and grace. Establishing a successful work from home strategy is going to be a transition for all — and for some, not an easy one.  

Understand that life is going to happen. Doorbells may ring, dogs may bark or kids may yell down the hallway while you’re on video calls. However, it is through consistent communication and purposeful engagement that you and your team will be able to navigate this new normal together.  

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Center. 

COVID-19 Series: Hiring Solutions for Essential Employers

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs. Many organizations are also now adapting to a newly virtual workforce.

In that spirit, this podcast shares insights from PeopleScout Leader of Business Development in North America, Jessie McGowan about hiring solutions for essential employers.

Jessie spends the majority of her time sharing our solution offerings with prospective clients where she calls upon her years of experience leading a diverse portfolio of RPO client partners.

Keeping Your Recruiting Team Engaged in the Midst of Uncertainty

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In the face of uncertainty, the very best employees and managers often confront issues head-on and come forward with bold solutions. As global uncertainty rises during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, now is the time for talent acquisition and HR leaders to keep their teams engaged.

If your team has planned to learn more about emerging talent acquisitions strategies to attract new talent, now may be an excellent time. You do not have to be an expert on each new recruiting technology or channel, but you do need to understand what is at available in the marketplace. Here are some tips to keeping your recruiting team engaged and provide value to your organization amidst these challenging times.

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Five Tips for Leading Teams Through Crisis

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Redefine Your Approach to Recruiting the Next Generation of Talent

Millennials, and up-and-coming younger generations, it almost goes without saying, have an entirely different approach to searching for jobs than previous generations. By extension, using the latest talent tech tools, recruitment marketing, social media platforms and mobile recruiting to attract and hire the next generation of talent is a must.

Experimenting with a new tech tool to see what may, or may not work, for your organization’s needs, reviewing job application procedures to be sure you are not limiting the flow of qualified, but non-traditional, candidates into your pipeline, or perhaps partnering with your colleagues in the marketing department for help in refreshing your employment brand are all good uses of your team’s time. By looking at recruitment challenges from different perspectives, you may uncover fresh new solutions.

Develop Your Current Employees

There may be no better way of addressing uncertainty than recognizing the potential of your current employees. Their experience and capacity to learn are valuable assets. When resources do not allow for adding new headcount, it’s even more vital to develop your current workforce so they can adapt to and fill your organization’s evolving needs during a crisis.

What’s more, losing a top performer during uncertain times can mean significant headaches as the loss of productivity and knowledge may be hard to regain. Making your existing workforce more agile and resilient to changes in the environment can help your organization thrive in uncertain times.

Be Creative When Keeping Your Recruiting Team Engaged

In a time of uncertainty, candidates may not always respond to traditional recruiting tactics, so you may need to be more proactive and creative in the ways your team connects with them.

Have your team think of some out-of-the-box, creative recruitment campaigns or ways to interact in a unique way with candidates. Perhaps consider expanding your use of video or images on your career site or reevaluate your use of language in job descriptions to capture the imagination of candidates.

Recruiters and their wealth of knowledge play a big role in uncertain times. With their unique perspective — on both the candidate’s and organization’s needs, your recruiting team can help right the ship in the middle of the storm. This knowledge is paramount for any climate, especially when organizations need to navigate uncertainty and crisis. By keeping your recruiting team engaged, you are investing in your organizations future and building resilience.

COVID-19 Series: Building a Modern Business Continuity Plan

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs. Many organizations are also now adapting to a newly virtual workforce.

In that spirit, we are sharing insights from PeopleScout Global Leader of Business Operations Cindy Cutaia on building modern business continuity plans.

Cindy brings more than 12 years of leadership and 20 years of industry experience in partnering with global organizations to build and deliver strategic, scalable talent acquisition solutions with a focus on operational and process excellence. In her current role, she is accountable for enabling operational effectiveness to support PeopleScout’s unparalleled commitment to clients, including supporting the execution of the strategic business plan and governance of the operational goals and priorities. Cindy’s role also includes executive leadership of PeopleScout’s global delivery centers in India.

Advice for Keeping Employees Engaged During a Crisis with Andrea Brogger

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As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a mini-series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

Andrea Brogger is TrueBlue’s Leader of the Global Human Resources team, responsible for the overall HR strategy at PeopleScout, PeopleManagement and PeopleReady, including leadership development, diversity and inclusion, employee development, training and much more. She has more than 17 years of human resources experience and has changed the function, culture and impact of HR across TrueBlue to support its business goals and strategies, as well as the needs and aspirations of its 5,000 employees around the globe. Andrea is passionate about talent management, engagement and development programs that ensure that we have the right talent in the right roles at the right time. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration as well as her executive master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Cornell University.

Andrea shared her insights on keeping employees engaged when things are difficult from her home in Las Vegas.

Why are engagement strategies so important right now?

In our current environment, we’re seeing a record number of people working from home, which seemed to happen almost overnight. And when people are working from home, they may start to feel disconnected or a little bit out of the loop. We’ve all heard the old adage, “out of sight, out of mind,” which can be a very real concern for people who work from home or who work in satellite offices. This feeling of isolation can impact engagement, which directly impacts productivity.

Which engagement strategies are most important today for keeping employees engaged?

There are a few simple things we can all do to help keep the lines of communication open and keep our teams productive and closely aligned with one another. When we think about communication in this new working environment, it’s important to share your preferences and styles with your team. Do you prefer email, Skype, Yammer, phone calls, texting? Let your team know your preference and be sure you’re asking them theirs.

In a situation like we’re all facing right now, priorities and areas of focus may shift daily, or even hourly, so regular calls can help you address those items with your team. When you do communicate with your team, be sure you’re taking their feedback into consideration. Also, make sure you’re scheduling regular meetings both individually and as a group. This can help make sure everyone stays up to speed on what’s going on within the organization.

It’s also important to set aside time in your agenda to foster opportunities for small talk with your team. Encourage your teams to chat with one another, share photos and tips for things they’ve uncovered are successful in working from home. Maybe they’ve uncovered a fun new way to keep their kids engaged who are also stuck at home. All these things can go a long way in keeping your teams engaged and connected with you, with one another and with the company.

How can you help employees with the stress and anxiety they may be feeling during this difficult time?

There’s so much uncertainty both inside and outside of our work lives right now, which can cause people to feel uneasy about what they do and don’t know. It’s important to remember these feelings are completely normal, and it’s up to us as leaders to help stay connected with our teams and to talk openly with them about these anxieties.

However, in the absence of information, it’s human nature for people to fill in the blanks or to make their own assumptions — which isn’t productive for them or for the organization. We owe it to our teams to be open, honest and consistent. There’s nothing wrong with telling your team you don’t have all the answers or that you aren’t able to share all information at this time. The communication and open dialogue they have with you will help reassure them and keep the trust they have in you.

Keeping Employees Engaged: Andrea’s Crisis Communication Do’s and Don’ts

Do

  • Focus on what you and your team are in control of. While there’s a lot that might feel uncertain right now, there are many things we can control. Focus there, as well as on your routines, and stay positive.
  • Share your own concerns. You validate how other people are feeling by sharing your own vulnerability. Listen to what others are sharing and be empathetic.
  • Stay in constant contact with your team. When in doubt, overcommunicate. Your team will appreciate regular check-ins and knowing that their leader cares. So, when communicating with your team, go above and beyond.
  • Take care of yourself. When working from home, it can be easy to put in a lot of extra hours, skip breaks or even meals. Model self-care behavior and encourage your team to follow suit.

Don’t

  • Don’t let uncertainty impact you and your team’s ability to get work done. Don’t dwell. It’s important to acknowledge how people are feeling but try not to get stuck at the negative.
  • Don’t be afraid to try new things with your team. Experiment and find out what works for you and your team. Maybe you want to take a virtual lunch break with your team on video to make sure you’re all stepping away and getting the breaks you need. This can be a fun way to break up the day as well as stay connected with your team.

What advice do you have for teams who are transitioning to work from home for the first time?

Remember that you’re part of a team and you’re not the only one feeling this way. Many of us are working from home with spouses, children or others around due to various closures. Be sensitive to the fact that there may be distractions and noises outside of people’s control. Recognize that we’re all adapting to a new normal, and ensure your team knows what their priorities are and what they’re being held accountable for.

I’d also advise that you reach out and stay connected to your teams. When working from home, I find the days go by so quickly that the week is often over before I know it! So, to make sure I’m not missing out on quality connections with my team, I make sure I’m scheduling one-on-ones and team meetings. these are great ways for keeping employees engaged. I leverage my calendar to set reminders to help make sure I’m checking in with my team on a more casual and friendly basis.

We know not everybody is able to work from home, and there are some people who need to be in offices, essentially by themselves. How can you support those people?

I think as we all work through some significant changes right now, it’s always important to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and to be human. If I was in a nearly empty office without my usual support system, I think I would feel lonely, anxious and vulnerable. I’d probably wonder why other people had the opportunity to work from home and I didn’t. I might ask myself, why am I more important or less important?

When somebody is feeling this way, the power of recognition and appreciation really comes into play. Make sure you’re taking the time to thank those team members for their support. Let them know you appreciate that you can count on them to help keep normal business operations going. Your appreciation is really going to hit home with them if you tie their role back to the goals of the organization and remind them why they are so important. Recognition and appreciation are always important, especially during tough times. Don’t underestimate the power of gratitude.

To learn more about ways employers are keeping employees engaged outbreak, visit our Resource Center.

COVID-19 Series: Keeping Candidates and Employees Safe with a Virtual Hiring Solution

Posted on by nfuqua

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a miniseries with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

We are focused on the safety of our employees and clients, friends, families and loved ones. However, it is important for many organizations to keep their talent acquisition functions moving – whether to provide essential services or to serve our communities by providing jobs. Many organizations are also now adapting to a newly virtual workforce.

In that spirit, in this podcast, we share insights from PeopleScout Global Leader of Affinix Client Success and Strategy Allison Brigden on transitioning to a virtual talent acquisition solution.

Allison has been with PeopleScout since 1995 and has served in roles related to implementing and managing complex RPO programs as well as operations and technology. In her current role, Allison focuses on leveraging technology to elevate the talent strategy and client success through Affinix, PeopleScout’s proprietary talent technology platform. Allison leads an Affinix Client Success Team and our strategic technology partnerships. The Affinix Client Success Team is focused on understanding our clients’ objectives with Affinix and creating positive outcomes. She also possesses a deep commitment to corporate social responsibility, with an emphasis on military veteran advocacy. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah.

At PeopleScout, we’re all dealing with the same changes—working from home and recording these podcasts from a distance, so things may sound a bit different than you’re used to hearing.