The number of Americans quitting their jobs hit a record high this past November, with 4.5 million workers leaving their roles. As the Great Resignation rages on, human resources professionals and recruiters can anticipate continued difficulties acquiring talent. In fact, a recent survey conducted by GoCo discovered that roughly 75% of HR professionals say their jobs are more challenging than ever, and almost 100% of respondents say today’s hiring environment is competitive.
In the past, HR leaders relied on traditional recruiting approaches like job boards to attract talent. This style of recruiting no longer works in today’s job market. Applying via a job board is an inherently cumbersome process. Applicants must first sift through hundreds of postings and tedious paperwork before applying and then finally go through a round or more of interviews. This approach intends to screen out those who are not qualified for the role. In actuality, it discourages talented candidates.
The Great Resignation has turned the job market in favor of employees. Companies that overlook or ignore job seeker preferences will struggle to find qualified new talent. About 93% of employers plan to hire this year, so if HR leaders want to compete, they will need to develop adaptive capacity.
Adaptive capacity refers to someone’s ability to respond purposely and positively when confronted with a challenge, adjust to potential damages, and identify opportunities. This attitude is grounded in resilience, response, and resolve. By developing adaptive capacity, HR leaders can use the Great Resignation as an opportunity to create a more positive hiring and onboarding experience.
Talent acquisition professionals and HR leaders can implement the following three strategies to apply adaptive capacity to their 2022 efforts.
1. Screen in, not out.
Rather than searching for reasons a candidate doesn’t fit the role, companies should consider their experience and skills as well as their ability to learn. Standard education and experience requirements are not a great measure of how well a candidate will perform in a position. In fact, research shows that 58% of the workforce needs new skills. So instead of screening candidates out, the interview process should evolve to screen candidates in.
During a typical interview process, the recruiter is focused on “weeding out” candidates who won’t be a good fit. This discourages candidates from sharing preferences or aversions and often negatively impacts the interview experience. Of course, these techniques are useful sometimes. But in the current market, the best candidates usually have multiple opportunities. So when recruiters screen people out, they also cause good candidates to perform poorly. The goal of interviews isn’t to dishearten the best candidates; it’s to create a space where both parties can make their best impression.
That’s why companies looking to hire should conduct a pre-hire assessment. The nature of this assessment should focus on discovering candidate career interests and motivators. This can often provide better insights than a typical résumé. Questions to ask during a screening interview include “What’s important to you in a career?” and “Where do you see your career going in the future?” If recruiters build the assessment around what’s important to the person, they’ll be able to look at certain behaviors and determine productive (and counterproductive) behavior.
2. Develop an infinite mindset.
Often, HR leaders have a finite mindset about their talent strategy, believing there are fixed rules, clear endpoints, and defined winners and losers. A better outlook is an infinite mindset, where rules are changeable and work toward a common good. When HR leaders adopt this mindset, they can better approach the interview process.
By abandoning a finite mindset, recruiters change the rules. An infinite mindset approach turns interviews into two-way conversations. Interviewers explore whether the employee is a good fit for the company, and candidates determine whether the company is a good fit for them. According to McKinsey & Co., people who find purpose at work are more productive, resilient, and likely to stay at the company. Furthermore, the research found that 70% of employees said their work defined their purpose. By approaching interviews with an infinite mindset, recruiters can ensure there is alignment between the company’s purpose and that of the candidates, helping to improve job satisfaction and ultimately increase retention.
Recruiters can create a comfortable candidate experience by focusing on job satisfaction and fit. When approaching interviews with an infinite mindset, questions should shift from “Why did you leave your past company?” to “What were you looking for in your last job that you did not get?”
3. Approach interviews with positive communication.
A recent poll by Indeed found that 41% of candidates consider poor communication to be a problem during the interview process. Furthermore, Recruitment Buzz found that 82% of candidates will share negative interview experiences with their professional network. By failing to implement positive communication through the interview process, recruiters might intimidate current candidates and potentially scare off future candidates.
Instead, implementing a pre-hire assessment can set the foundation for the interview. Results can be used as talking points throughout the conversation to help build the relationship. By maintaining a friendly rapport, recruiters can help potential employees feel comfortable opening up without fear of judgment.
To facilitate positive communication through the interview process, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. First and foremost, recruiters should strive to build candidates up, not challenge them or ask what makes them the best candidate. Look beyond the candidate’s résumé and ask them about their experiences and how their experiences may help them in the role. Finally, remember to put the applicant’s needs first and ask them what they’re looking for in a new position.
By developing adaptive capacity, HR leaders don’t need to fear the Great Resignation. In the words of Limeade Chief Science Advisor Dr. Laura Hamill, “The Great Resignation is a great opportunity for employers to evolve, learn, and do better.” When HR leaders shift their mindset to focus on bringing value to applicants, they can create a holistic employee value proposition, increasing employee job satisfaction and improving their recruitment efforts.
