Challenges to managing screening and hiring procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic

HR personnel are faced with challenges to managing hiring procedures and meeting their employment needs safely as well as legally during this pandemic. With virtual interviews replacing face-to-face encounters as well as increased awareness of inequalities in and out of the workplace, what are some good strategies to help hiring teams cope with ensuring workplace safety and inclusion while finding qualified candidates?

Factors that may complicate performing background checks and other hiring procedures

Gone are the days when information was easily obtained at the click of a mouse or a phone call. Reduced workforces in courthouses, schools and other sources of records have resulted outright suspensions or long delays in processing confirmation of academic, criminal and employment histories. Documents that can be falsified, such as diplomas, should therefore not be taken at face value by employers until verification solutions are in place.

Resist the temptation to hire first and screen later

Not screening employees leaves the organization open to risk. Reserving the right to run post-hiring background checks when court and other resources are available could be one strategy for the short-term.

Working with a provider in hiring procedures to give a heads-up on red flags or other findings during an open search, while receiving status reports, can also help reduce the chances of hiring dishonest applicants.

Don’t let racial and gender Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) goals fall by the wayside

These days, many hiring procedures and decisions are driven more by folks in the finance department than HR recruiters or HR managers. This inevitably results in forgetting, or unfortunately, minimizing the need for D&I in making hiring decisions.

Women are among the hardest hit from layoffs and closures due to the Corona virus: research by Citibank predicts that of the 44 million workers expected to lose their jobs, 31 million (70 percent) will be women – and many of those will be women of color.

Racial disparity is another concern: only about 3.2 per cent of black workers are in senior leadership jobs, according to a 2019 Center for Talent Innovation report.

Perhaps the best way to ensure that an organization doesn’t overlook its D&I agenda is to incorporate it as a policy into the hiring procedures as a part of the decision-making process.

The takeaway:

There is no indication that we’ll be returning to what was once considered “normal” any time soon. In the meantime, flexibility, innovation, and improving hiring procedures while partnering with a top screening provider will be the keys to finding and keeping the best talent available.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide professional or legal advice regarding actions to take in any situation.