An unprecedented economic boom is coming for a variety of industries around the world. As vaccine distribution continues to roll out globally, it is expected that rapid economic recovery will offer new opportunities to scale and innovate.
With over 20 years of experience in the Canadian tech space, I have navigated changing global conditions and the internal strategies required to capitalize on key opportunities for success. Having had the chance to connect with numerous thought leaders in the space over the last several months, I’m convinced that the shift to remote work is a model that will continue beyond COVID, as the benefits of more flexible work arrangements become apparent around the world.
As firms recognize the appeal of a flexible work-life balance for employees and acknowledge that they are no longer competing in a local pool for talent, they are also facing a unique opportunity to not only recover post-COVID but expand beyond previous benchmarks. In the face of these challenges and opportunities, I have been encouraged to hear business leaders the world over reevaluating their hiring and background screening solutions and aligning their organizations with a system that can keep up with the fast-paced and increasingly competitive remote hiring dynamic. But I would be more encouraged if I knew that more firms were mobilizing to get ahead of the opportunity.
Organizations that have successfully weathered the trials and uncertainties of multiple COVID-19 lockdowns need to harness the strong immune system they’ve cultivated, and apply it to the hiring process…and quickly. Capitalizing on this resilience is key to accelerating the process of hiring the people required to achieve tomorrow’s targets.
The end of geographic limitations surrounding work means the balance of power is tilting away from hiring organizations. Applicants are able to seek opportunities around the world and be even more selective with which organizations fit their specific needs and values. Due to this shift, the first impressions an organization makes in the hiring and onboarding process are even more critical. Similar to the dating process, if transparency and a trusting connection are not fostered from the beginning, applicants can — and will — seek opportunities elsewhere.
Recent data proves that 96% of employers conduct one or more types of employment background screening. And that fact doesn’t hold up well for most companies competing for talent. Historically, background screening has an unfortunate and long-standing reputation for being confusing, time-consuming, and tedious for applicants. Faced with answering invasive questions and navigating an intimidating user interface, it isn’t surprising that applicants give up during the hiring process or lose trust in the organization due to lack of communication, especially when submitting applications to multiple roles with a single company, in this new applicant-centred job market.
For those who know, the time and cost savings are valuable. There are a number of key features that background screening solutions should prioritize, due to their ability to expedite results and improve the applicant experience. A user-friendly API, centralized data, and fast, real-time operations are all critical in accelerating the hiring process for qualified remote candidates. However, it can be said that a platform based on top tech performance is not enough. Aligning hiring with a program that also provides responsive customer service ensures organizations are not slowed down waiting on a response to critical compliance and data management questions and that candidates are not left waiting in the lurch.
Despite the uncertainty that most organizations may be feeling as a result of the past year, preparing for the economic rebound through rapid, high-quality remote hiring can be simplified and should be on today’s leadership agenda.
Amongst remote teams, a genuine connection can be fostered from the start with a background screening solution that maintains the delicate balance of getting to know a candidate without being invasive. Human-centric management builds trust, and we believe trust in the employee-employer relationship will be the fuel that firms need to drive the economy forward from here.
Organizations are now at a crossroads: prepare to scale through great talent, or risk falling behind. Forward-looking companies must take fast action by ensuring they’re ready for the coming surge with verified screening processes.
Adopting a reliable and seamless background screening solution is now just as much about protecting an organization’s interests, as it is about competing for and landing the best talent in an increasingly globalizing and competitive talent market. Now is the time to adopt the tech necessary to be deemed an organization poised to excel.
Rory Capern is the Chief Revenue Officer at Victoria’s Certn.
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