There is a COVID-19 myth right now that companies are furloughing employees, and unemployment is anticipated to skyrocket. Don’t believe it. Large employers such as Amazon, Dollar Tree, and Kroger have announced they are seeking thousands of new hires. Perks, such as hiring bonuses up to $500 along with instant pay increases, are also being offered to new hires to get people to act quickly.
Despite everything going on, our customers have reached out to share they are hiring. We’ve included links to theses employer’s career sites for you to act immediately. But before you start applying, we thought we’d share a few trends in flight with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Consider Career Events
Under the new norm, searching for a job hasn’t changed much, with one exception, career events. Sadly we’ve seen hundreds of career events cancelled. Yet, tech-savvy companies are shifting to virtual events. As a job seeker, expect to follow the same steps such as registering ahead, having your resume prepared, researching key employers and practicing your pitch as you network with different employers, answering questions about your work history and skills. One more item, test your technology to ensure your device is capable of supporting you during your virtual career event. You’ll still want to dress for the event, the key difference is you’ll log-in versus walk in. Once there, chime in on an existing conversation, or opt to chat privately with an employer to ask about open positions, even get an immediate face-to-face interview, via video of course.
Video Interviewing
Social distancing has influenced the interviewing and hiring process. The biggest change is video interviewing, which gives both you and the hiring manager the opportunity to meet face-to-face and experience a more engaging conversation versus an old-fashioned phone interview. We’re also hearing that companies are hiring faster, sometimes within hours of an interview.
Remote Onboarding
For those companies moving full speed ahead with new hires, onboarding is taking on a new look. HR is pivoting and adopting virtual onboarding for new hires, now working remotely. Average new hires have more than 50+ activities to complete during an onboarding experience. Hiccups during this process not only creates stress, but can also incite self-doubt. With virtual onboarding, expect to engage with online tools, scheduling software, communications platforms, and videoconferencing tools all found within Microsoft Office 365. Outlook and Teams will help make sure your onboarding meetings happen not just virtually, but smoothly. More importantly, software platforms like these will keep your activities focused, engaged, and productive.
An Alternate Approach
With diversity being a key initiative for thousands of employers, you may want to consider reaching out to a community organization to assist you with your job search. These organizations focus on diversity, LGBTQ, minorities, veterans and the disabled. We work with more than 20,000 community organizations, which assist our clients in finding people just like you. It may be a quicker, easier path depending upon your current situation.
Regardless of how you go about your search, one thing is for sure: numerous companies are looking to hire new employees now.
Visit our job board or check out some of these top companies now hiring!
