If we had to find a tidy way to sum up 2020 (but let’s be honest — NOTHING about 2020 was tidy!), we’d probably coin it the “Year of the Employee Experience.” The workplace experience as we know it has been completely revolutionized — and because of that, the way we looked at employee experience at our companies has also changed. Don’t get us wrong — the candidate experience was a huge priority as well, but between a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, a historic push for social justice, and widespread economic uncertainty, it became more important than ever to make sure employees felt safe, supported, and heard.
From making sure employees had the flexibility in their day to help their kids with remote learning and finding new ways for teams to stay connected (hello, virtual Happy Hours!) to more transparent communications from company leadership and giving employees extra time off to recharge and refresh amid incredibly trying and emotional times, we heard countless stories of the ways our partners shifted their thinking around the experiences being created for employees. True company culture is something that should be felt outside of the four walls of an organization, and if there’s an upside to the pandemic, it’s been this realization. (By the way, Gallup published a great blog last month that touches on this — it’s a solid read.)
We’d like to put out our own intention into the world of hiring and talent acquisition for 2021: let’s make it the “Year of the Candidate Experience.” Coming out of the pandemic, we’ll have talent who will be looking for new careers, new positions, and new companies. Those who lost jobs will be anxious to find new ones. Those who didn’t leave a job because they were scared they might not find another one will be looking for a new opportunity. All of this talent will be looking for companies that have prioritized flexibility, safety, and care for their current employees.
This Fast Company piece sums up our thinking nicely. We also think this year will be more about transferable skills than job titles and degrees, we love the idea of asking “So, what was your 2020 like?” instead of the stale “Tell us about yourself,” and we’re also all for making the interview experience as seamless as possible by offering alternative ways to screen and interview remotely. We’d also add a big one to the list: communication. Candidates deserve honest and respectful communication at every step in the job process. At Carex, we’ve built our business model on ensuring a great candidate experience from the very beginning — take a look here to learn more about our process.
And, of course, if you’re looking for help with some of these pieces, we’re here. We’re happy to help you ensure that your candidate experience is on point — because that’s what sets the stage for an equally great employee experience. Contact us if you’d like to have a conversation!