COVID-19 has forced businesses to change the way they operate, and while the pandemic has brought many challenges, it has also forced leaders to get creative about the way they run their organizations. This creativity has opened up possibilities that never would have been thought of before, and many organizations plan to keep these changes in place after the pandemic crisis—even though these changes were brought on by circumstances everyone would have liked to avoid.
Remote Communication
It will come as no surprise that our increasing reliance on remote communication has possibly wrought some of the biggest changes that are likely to last long after COVID-19. The ability to connect from anywhere at any time has increased work flexibility, team collaboration, and the way recruiters attract candidates.
Virtual Interviews
One upside to the pandemic is how much we now rely on virtual communication. For staffing agencies, this means interviews are conducted virtually instead of in-person, and oftentimes with greater success. The rate of candidates who miss interviews has decreased significantly during the new age of virtual interviews. Before COVID-19, it was not uncommon to schedule an in-person interview several days out, only for that candidate not to show up. Virtual interviews offer an easier way to stage interviews on the spot, which means less wasted time and effort for recruiters.
Video Calls
Zoom was technically an option before any shutdowns started, but for most, its full potential hadn’t been realized until recently, and it has revolutionized communication. Discussions with out-of-state clients or coworkers that have traditionally been conducted over the phone are now almost universally done through video calls, allowing participants to see one another long before they meet. This enhances collaboration and innovation, as well as customer satisfaction.
Work Flexibility
Since the beginning of COVID-19, the boundaries between work and home have become increasingly blurred. Although frustrating for many, work-from-home arrangements have created a new era of work flexibility. Now able to hire from nearly anywhere, companies can choose talent from a bigger and more diversified pool of candidates, and employees often enjoy the advantage of working in places and times that best suit their personal schedules and family life. A favorite of leaders and workers alike, it’s difficult to imagine these new work arrangements disappearing after the crisis.
Benjamin Franklin was supposed to have said, “Out of adversity comes opportunity.” COVID-19 continues to cause difficulties and challenges for businesses, but it also creates room for massive creativity and innovation that will help organizations operate even better than they did before the pandemic arrived.
