COVID-19 is undoubtedly the most alarming crisis the world has faced in recent memory. Not only does it pose a grave threat to everyone’s health and safety, it has totally upended every organization’s way of doing business. However, I firmly believe that this is the time for the most prepared pharmaceutical and biotech organizations to shine, not only as they fight this deadly virus, but as they build smarter, better organizations.
Talent acquisition is just one challenge organizations are presently facing. As a recruiter widely connected to hiring managers and HR professionals in the biopharma industry, I have seen companies take unprecedented efforts to combat the immense global challenge posed by COVID-19. Many companies acted quickly and transitioned all their recruiting and hiring to a virtual platform, to avoid any slowdown in hiring. Others have found the transition to remote interviewing and hiring to be more of a challenge.
I have years of experience helping companies and hiring managers interview and hire remotely and this process should not be an obstacle to building your best team. On the contrary, if used strategically and thoughtfully, remote hiring can be more efficient and streamlined than an in-person hiring process. Why
Remote hiring processes result in the engagement of more quality candidates. Most of our talent searches are conducted on a nationwide or global scale, but it is not easy to get the best candidates, who are likely already pursuing a successful career, to travel to onsite interviews. While these candidates may be interested in exploring new opportunities, when faced with investing one or two days out of their busy schedule to travel, they often times withdraw from exploring an opportunity. Remote recruiting removes that challenge and allows hiring managers to access “passive” talent that may not otherwise be willing to put in the travel time.
Remote hiring and interviewing is generally faster. Much effort goes into the logistics of multi-round interviewing processes, finding ways to work around schedules, not only among the hiring committee but also among candidates in different locations, preparing conference rooms for in-person interviews, meals, etc. Moreover, it can be difficult to make a prompt hiring decision when using the in-person interview process, as interviews with various candidates take place over a period of weeks. The remote process removes many of those logistical headaches and allows the process to move more swiftly.
Remote hiring and interviewing keeps the team focused on assessing the candidate’s core competencies and valuable experiences, not just personal impressions. While the traditional in-person interview allows interviewers to have a better sense of body language and the in-person energy a candidate brings to a discussion, some talented candidates simply do not stand out in in-person interviewers. Not every position requires a “people person.” The remote process keeps the focus on the experiences and skills that matter most for a particular position.
Remote hiring and interviewing can be a great way to reveal the company’s core culture, values and what sets the company apart from its competitors. How adaptable is the company? How well do teams collaborate and perform? Are they forward-thinking with regards to their technology? Remote interviewing gives a candidate a window into these attributes. A well-designed and thoughtful remote interviewing process, that creates a positive candidate experience, lets a candidate know that this company is set up to meet adversity. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the qualities that make your organization outstanding. So, how do you remotely hire and interview well?
Choose a well-known and easy to download platform that has already received positive reviews. You want to make sure the candidate will be able to complete the process smoothly. Also, be mindful of the security of the conferencing platform. Many popular platforms routinely share data with third parties. Finally, make sure the platform works well on mobile devices or tablets. Have HR or IT send a demo to use, so the candidate can get familiar with the platform prior to the interview.
Communicate expectations or tips to candidates on how best to conduct the virtual interview. A quick video introduction or brief user guide is highly recommended. Even though most candidates will prepare themselves, recognizing that these are unusual circumstances and providing tips on how best to web interview will put the candidate more at ease and give them a great impression of your organization. Make sure the candidate understands how the interview is going to be run.
Share a video with the candidates prior to the interview to show them the facilities and work environment they will ultimately be in. Candidates want to be able to see the company environment and that is not something they can get from the remote interview. Show them your facilities and give them the highlights of the office setting.
Conduct internal training and have a quick meeting among the interviewers to align team goals, expectations and the protocols for the interview. Be on the same page on communicating the culture of the organization. Be sure to discuss the level of formality you are striving for and how the interview team is going to handle the inevitable interruptions that can occur during home interviews.
Have a channel for candidates to provide timely feedback after the interview about the remote interview. This interview format is new to many companies and feedback will be beneficial as you continually tweak your remote interviewing process.
Keep the energy positive. This is an extremely difficult time for everyone and certainly for job seekers. Anything can happen in the interview process, for example, internet disconnections, unplanned kid visits, and barking dogs. Understand all situations and keep the positive energy going. In the end, talent and employers are coming together to make it work.
Make remote recruiting part of an adaptive and fluid hiring process to use long after the COVID-19 situation has come to an end. The talent market is vast and remote recruiting is a powerful tool in helping you access all the talent out there.
Remote hiring and remote interviewing should be part of every company’s HR toolbox going forward. Learning how to use these tools to make efficient, accurate hiring decisions, while delivering positive experiences to candidates is a necessity for any company looking to hire the best talent, in good times or in bad.
The present COVID-19 crisis should be viewed as an opportunity. Many of the top talents are now seeing how potentially weak their organizations are and they are more actively exploring new opportunities. The companies that persevere and improve their organizations during these challenging times will come to dominate the industry in the long-term. View this as a chance to make your company stand out to the top talents in the biotech and pharmaceutical field.
If you are in the middle of transitioning your hiring process or about to embark on a more adaptable model, and would like to discuss these ideas further, or generally get a sense of how best to fill certain positions, please reach out to me at diana.ji@bongenesearch.com. Bongene Search is ready to help in turning this difficult time into a time of great opportunity.
About the author:
Diana Y. Ji is founder and president of Bongene Search, a global biopharma executive search firm dedicated to serving the critical talent acquisition needs of biopharma companies. She is also the author of the Amazon best-selling book Power Recruiting: Effectively Hire the Best Talent in the Biopharma industry. Her company, Bongene Search, has been recognized as one of the leading recruiting companies and Diana has been an industry leader for over a decade, implementing her STAR methodology and POWER recruiting process to ensure her clients always come out on top in the war for talent. Diana holds a Masters in Human Resource Management from Rutgers University. She resides with her family in New Jersey.
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