COVID-19 served as a dramatic disruptor to hiring and talent acquisition workflows across organizations large and small all throughout the country. As workforces shifted to temporary work-from-home arrangements – with some organizations choosing to keep the remote arrangement permanent – important functions that previously relied on in-person dynamics have had to adapt to virtual tools. One such function? Hiring.
Despite the economic devastation felt by so many companies and industries as a result of the global pandemic, there have been pockets of economic growth for certain organizations structured to take advantage of the shift to work-from-home and stay-at-home. These organizations, and really any organization that has had a hiring need during the past 12 months, has had to adopt virtual talent acquisition tools in order to maintain effectiveness – all while maintaining the level of candidate experience and quality-of-hire as in-person work.
But what does this change in dynamic mean for the job seeker? Have there been any changes in what hiring managers look for on a resume? Changes in resume layout or formatting perhaps?
Digital Competence Increases in Value in Remote Recruiting
“The percentage of workers permanently working from home is expected to double in 2021,” according to a survey from Enterprise Technology Research (ETR). As companies have had to shift to more Zoom meetings and have had to lean into digitization in a way they didn’t anticipate prior to COVID-19, hiring teams are realizing that the future state of their organizations could rest on its ability to navigate an increasingly digital-first world. In response, job candidates applying for remote jobs will need to showcase more skill in digital tools and savviness on their professional resumes.
And this trend goes for both executives and entry-level candidates. When it comes to resume positioning, and more broadly, candidacy positioning, there has never been a better time to be the benchmark in an organization for digital nativity. When everyone can point to you and say ‘that is the person who is best at this video platform’, then your intrinsic value for an organization goes up tremendously. So much of the technological advancement organizations have had to go through in the last 12 months is an opportunity for the right job candidate. Remote recruiting provides job seekers with a unique opportunity to showcase skills that organizations need today and tomorrow.
More Diversity of Perspective During the Hiring Process Means Greater Opportunity to Stand Out in Remote Recruiting
Because of the shift to remote working, recruiters are also testing out new ways to vet candidates to glean greater insight into a candidate’s viability within an organization. One new trend has been the introduction of more talent acquisition staff for more perspective.
“An interesting trend we’re seeing in hiring because of work-from-home is an increased number of interviews happening with more diverse team members throughout an organization,” says Joseph Puglise, Senior Director of Executive Search and Recruiting at global executive search firm JMJ Phillip Group. “Because you’re not getting the office tour and culture, we’re seeing companies make a bigger effort around getting more people as part of the interview process.”
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When engaged in a professional outplacement services program that includes high-level resume writing and expert career coaching, job seekers typically find a job in less than half the time it would take a candidate navigating the job search on their own. There has never been a better time to upgrade your career, and the quickest way to do so is to invest in your resume positioning and working with career services experts.