Every week we comb through the news to find employment trends affecting the hospitality industry so you don’t have to. This week’s topic: remote hiring during the pandemic.

Remote Hiring During the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has forced restaurants to rethink aspects of their business while millions of people stay home and day to day operations are affectedAlthough most restaurants are seeing a decrease in sales due to the change in business, some managers need to hire to account for increased demand. But during the age of quarantine, what should the hiring process look like? 

Fortunately, the recruitment process, which usually includes posting job advertisements and receiving applications, has been digital for the past several years. The interview process, typically conducted in person, has been affected due to health and safety concerns regarding face-to-face interaction.  

This is where remote hiring comes in. Digitizing the entire hiring process will allow businesses to conduct interviews as usual, removing the physical interaction but keeping the personable aspects that come with interviewing. Not only that, but digital interviews will show candidates you’re willing to be flexible and are still committed to finding great employees (via Mantal).  

At LGC, we’ve continued to hire in order to meet our clients’ needs but have altered some of the steps in our hiring process, moving towards video conferencing to conduct interviews. Sean Hoover, Regional Perm Director, said this about the pivot to video software: “Yes, we typically do face to face, however, with the beauty of technology like, Zoom, FaceTime, Skype and even Facebook video, we are able to move forward with no issues in the interview process. It also allows us to have instant interviews, within minutes, rather than scheduling something days out.” 

If your business currently has hiring needs, you should be asking yourself the following questions:  

  • Does anything need to change with my recruitment process? 
  • What software do I need to conduct video interviews? 
  • How can I make candidates feel supported 
  • Will this impact how I conduct interviews in the future?  

The main point to consider is that employers and candidates alike are uncertain of what the “right” hiring process is during COVID-19. By prioritizing the health and safety of your team and any prospective applicants, you’ll find the process that works for you.