Candidates! Here’s how to navigate the ‘new normal’ of recruitment

Uncertain, unprecedented, unusual, downright bonkers… call it what you want, the situation we’re currently in is something none of us has experienced before. Ever.

While lockdown restrictions are finally lifting, the pandemic is likely to have a lasting impact on our economy and on the way we do things. Businesses in lots of industries are having to adapt to a new way of working, taking extra steps to keep everyone safe.

The world of recruitment has changed, too – not just for recruiters and companies, but also for candidates.

But, different doesn’t have to mean daunting. If you’re looking to take your next career step, here are some tips to help you succeed at finding your dream role in a post-pandemic world.

Maximise the downtime

Got more free time due to the pandemic? Great. Rather than binging every Netflix series on your watch list, start working on boosting your ‘candidate appeal’. Here’s how…

Add to your skills

Identify relevant knowledge and skills that would make your CV ‘pop’ and find online courses where you can learn them remotely. Coursera is a great place to start if you want to learn or fine-tune skills related to tech, IT, AI and cloud engineering.

Also, think about remote working tools you might be asked to use when you join a company. If you’re not au fait with platforms like Slack, Asana and Google Hangouts, educate yourself on them now so you can collaborate effectively with your new colleagues from the get-go.

Stay up-to-date with industry news

The world of tech moves quickly, so keep your finger firmly on the pulse by scanning industry sources every day. Who knows, a question on the latest trends may crop up during an interview!

If there are any interesting webinars or podcasts covering your specialist area or the wider industry, these could be worth attending or listening to as well.

Master video interview techniques

Video interviews are the new norm and something we advocate here at Revoco. Here are some tips to help you to boss being on cam:

• Test your tech in advance – make sure you have a good webcam and the mic is working, and set up in a location with decent WiFi.
• Bear in mind the background – a shelf neatly stacked with books? Fine. A large pile of dirty washing and collection of used mugs? Not so fine. Double check the background is clutter-free and doesn’t display items that’ll leave you blushing.
• Boost the battery – make sure your laptop or tablet is fully charged on the day, and utilise a stand if you’re doing the interview on a tablet so the screen doesn’t wobble.
• Dress smart head to toe – not head to waist. It would be embarrassing if you had to stand up and in doing so, revealed your Marvel pyjama bottoms.
• Maintain eye contact – it’s surprisingly hard to master, but it’s important to keep eye contact with the interviewer by looking into the camera, rather than checking yourself out on screen.
• Listen, pause, respond– if Zoom has taught us anything, it’s how cringey it is to have multiple people talking over one another at the same time. Limit the chance of this happening by waiting a few seconds after each question before responding.

Settling in once you’ve landed a job

Bagged your dream role? Congrats! All that hard work has paid off.

Onboarding is likely to look a little different in a post-pandemic environment, and welcome drinks are pretty much out of the question. Face-to-face drinks, anyway.

What’s still important, though, is that you integrate with the team from the very beginning. It’ll help you feel invested in your role, keep morale high in those important initial weeks, and help you feel part of your new company even though you’re working apart for the time being.

Your manager is responsible for helping settle you in, but there are things you can do too. Most important, make sure you join in extra-curricular activities like team quizzes and digital drinks. If your company doesn’t currently have these, why not be the confident newbie by taking it upon yourself to arrange something?

Also, ask your new colleagues to jump on a video call as opposed to exchanging emails, especially if it’s the first time speaking with them. A quick, on-screen ‘hello’ will allow you both to put a face to the name and is a great way to break the ice.