This last year has thrown no shortage of challenges to all sized businesses. Those that have survived the pandemic have so through grants, loans, careful planning, and determination to see their business succeed. One of the main stumbling blocks employers face moving out of the economic stranglehold the pandemic has had is re-hiring team members to fill the skills gap that have appeared. Businesses need to start hiring post Covid-19 and they need to start planning.
Businesses can not stand still and do nothing. There is no magic pause button for businesses waiting for the pandemic to be over. Many have had to make difficult cutbacks, manage finance more tightly or taken on roles themselves. But now we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel and a return to some normality. For a lot, this means starting to hire staff to cover the skills gap left in the wake of Covid-19.
Number 1 – Missing links and identifying.
What skills are missing within your business? Write them down, from most important to least, then its time to figure out how to fill that gap. One option would be to look at your existing workforce and see if you can expand the skillset of your current employees.
However, there are a few things to consider, and this will make your decision on hiring easier.
- Can you wait for up to 3 months for an employee to learn a new skill, let alone longer if it requires recognised qualifications?
- Is the new skill and specialist skill or even niche?
- Is the skills gap a temporary one or permanent?
- Can your existing employees handle the increase in workload?
Number 2 – The Interview
It can be incredible difficult to see the true value an individual can bring in a 30-minute interview. Its normal for the person who is being interviewed to be nervous or apprehensive and this will affect their overall interview. Letting them know how and what will be required of them for the interview is a better way to ensure a candidate doesn’t feel interrogated during the assessment process. Setting the candidate at ease is best way to get an accurate view of their competence towards the role.
Number 3 – Integration and budget
You may have hired someone into your team, but the job is not finished. Your new member of staff, more so than ever thanks to remote working, needs to be brought into the workforce. Make sure you include the new employee in group calls and video conferences and check up on how their doing regularly.
Hiring someone new is a long and tiring process and can be costly if you make mistakes or cut corners. Offering someone the job is only half the process, ensuring their keeping up the high standards of work you require and don’t leave you at the earliest convenience is another thing entirely, as is hiring someone who doesn’t have the skills or qualifications you require.
