Although COVID-19 has caused businesses to shift practices and move to remote work, the growing pains are finally paying off. In the pre-COVID world, the hiring industry, like most industries, conducted most business in-person. Between plane rides to recruit candidates, in-house interactions, to face-to-face interviews, “business as usual” has consequently been thrown out of the window. Remote work seemed to be the natural next step for companies as a result of the pandemic and although the shift was abrupt, remote work has proven to be more efficient, cost-effective and less stressful for everyone involved.

Over the course of my career, a shift to remote work wasn’t exactly in the plans, but it has shown to be fruitful and provide positive benefits to the hiring industry. Despite the fact that the majority of us are in a rush to go back to how the world used to be, the future of hiring is remote and I feel compelled to share some of the benefits of adjusting to this new way of life.

Saving Time & Creating Convenience

Before the outbreak of this virus, recruiters were expected to meet with candidates in-person and conduct interviews accordingly. With the institution of remote work as the “new normal”, interviews and other recruitment tacts don’t have to wait on corresponding schedules or even geographical location.

Further, remote hiring provides a convenience like no other, as recruiters and candidates alike can both meet virtually anytime and anywhere. The convenience of remote hiring saves both candidates and recruiters time, energy and unnecessary expenditures. Although recruiters and candidates may have to account for different time zones, connecting recruiters, candidates and companies has never been easier.

Expanding the Talent Pool

As a result of working and hiring remotely, finding talent has also never been more efficient. Remote hiring opens up the doors to invite talent from any and all places, irrespective of their location in relation to the business’ location, as well as allows them to work diligently in a remote setting. As full-time remote work becomes a permanent aspect of our society, it has the power to expand networks, connecting people from different places to companies that may have otherwise been out of the question in a pre-COVID world. From a business perspective, scouting talent from various places provides access to the best talent from across the nation and can give your company a more competitive edge in an oversaturated business world.

As recruiters, we also have to meet certain requirements, as set forth by our clients, to find talent that they can add to existing teams to complete consulting or part-time work. This talent is often expected to deliver new systems and transfer knowledge to the contract/full-time staff. In most cases, they are needed in high cost of living areas, such as California or New York. Due to this expense, the companies tend to have difficulty accommodating the cost of living rates needed to attract that particular talent. However, with remote work, that is no longer an obstacle, and has made it extremely palatable for both the talent and the company itself.

Decreasing Stress, Increasing Focus

It is no secret that participating in an interview can be very nerve-wracking for the candidate. There can be various distractions or complications that arise, causing a candidate to feel stressed, unfocused or unprepared before an interview. Instead of conducting in-person interviews where the candidate has to fuss over transportation to and from the interview, parking their cars, rushing to take public transportation, spilling their coffee on their suit, and so on and so forth, they can instead be interviewed right in their own home.

Allowing candidates to be interviewed in a comfortable environment, like their bedroom or home office, can help to remove some of the stress that accompanies a job interview. Conducting remote interviews also will help candidates focus solely on the interview, instead of being distracted by all of the aforementioned stressors of life. During remote interviews, candidates will likely be of sound mind and can provide clear answers to questions, as well as will allow the interviewer to get a better gauge of how this candidate may fit within the company and the respective role.

Remote interviews and recruiting may not be able to hold a candle to the real deal, but it does provide some benefits that positively impact the hiring industry and promote productivity and talent pool expansion. Many of us are counting down the days until we can resume “business as usual”, but hopefully, these successful adjustments will remain. As we move forward into a post-COVID world, it is projected that remote practices will continue and spearhead the recruiting industry into a more efficient future.