Meeting recruitment goals can be challenging in normal times, but COVID-19 has made it even more so. Finding opportunities to both meet new candidates and engage with them is tricky during a pandemic. With in-person meetings limited in capacity, events being canceled, and the fear of being in a small space with other people, we’ve had to take a step back and think about what recruiting will look like in the immediate future.

What we’re finding is that recruitment goals and quotas remain—and to meet them, organizations must quickly adapt to these changing times. Our clients that have recruiting missions are already preparing for a busy 2021 to make up for the lull in recruiting this year.

In-person tactics—which are typically the best way to develop a personal connection to your prospect or candidate—aren’t always possible right now. But here are some creative ways to meet your recruitment goals:

• Make one-on-one virtual interactions as engaging as possible. While there’s no substitute for what the military often refers to as “kneecap-to-kneecap” conversations, you should still try to schedule one-on-one virtual meetings with prospects. This will provide opportunities to both educate prospects about your organization as well as understand pandemic-related barriers (or opportunities) to recruiting them. For example, in military recruiting, a high school graduate experiencing financial difficulties due to the pandemic may now consider a military career to help with education costs rather than immediately pursuing a four-year degree.
• Use the right platform to meet and engage with prospects. Where are your prospects spending time online? Some military organizations are reaching audiences through online gaming and e-sports, even forming professional e-sports teams. For one-on-one meetings or interviews, consider Facebook or Zoom, depending on your audience. Make sure you’re staying engaged with fans and followers on your social media platforms.
• Attend or host virtual events. With many COVID-19 restrictions still in place, more recruiting events, such as career fairs, are being offered virtually. “Attending” these events will enable you to meet new prospects.
• Reevaluate advertising. At a higher level, is your advertising still working for you to create brand awareness and generate leads? Audiences are consuming media differently during COVID-19. For example, Gen Z is spending more time online listening to music, watching video content, and engaging with social media during the quarantine. An out-of-home mall placement probably wouldn’t be seen by large audiences during these times. It may be necessary to shift your media placements.

Need innovative ideas to help you reach your recruiting goals? Contact us.