A Gartner, Inc. poll of 334 HR leaders on April 13 found that 86% of organizations are incorporating new virtual technology to interview candidates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the uncertainty created by the pandemic, 82% of organizations anticipate a decline in external hiring across the next three months.

“Recruiting leaders are caught between the sourcing and hiring plans that were initiated before the COVID-19 outbreak and the rise in uncertainty and social and economic instability,” said Lauren Smith, vice president in the Gartner HR practice. “As external hiring slows for many organizations, and business priorities change, leaders must evaluate different methods of recruiting and hiring.”

To acquire talent amid the changing economic climate, HR leaders should consider the following measures:

Create Effective Virtual Hiring Processes

The current coronavirus crisis has pushed businesses to implement more large-scale virtual recruiting and interviewing efforts. HR should partner with recruiting leaders to ensure they can successfully utilize recruiting technology to create a positive candidate experience. The Gartner poll found that 85% of organizations are utilizing new technology to onboard employees.

“While most organizations are currently conducting interviews remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual interviewing may become the new standard for recruiting leaders and candidates long after social distancing guidelines are lifted,” added Ms. Smith. “The most successful organizations provide candidates with the same level of information and feeling of connection with the organization as they would have with an in-person interview or onboarding experience.”

Realign Hiring Plans

As economic uncertainty and budget constraints impact many organizations, senior leaders are reassessing their hiring plans. Fifty-four percent of organizations have delayed candidates’ start dates and 31% have canceled internship programs, according to Gartner research. In addition, 63% of recruiting leaders report that more than half of their job openings are currently frozen.

During these changes, recruiters and hiring managers need to effectively manage candidate emotions in order to avoid both reputational damage and difficult recruiting efforts in the future. To enhance the candidate experience, leaders should provide clear and transparent communications to candidates if the position they applied for is placed on hold. For candidates that have accepted a job offer, leaders must be as transparent as possible when communicating a delay in their start date and providing timely updates.

Encourage Internal Talent Mobility

Fifty-four percent of respondents to the Gartner poll reported that all hiring efforts, except for critical positions, will freeze in the coming months. As business needs change for many organizations, HR and senior leaders can acquire the people they need by sourcing talent internally. Gartner research shows that though they are not actively searching, 39% of employees would be open to switching to a new role within their organization. Recruiting leaders can promote internal vacancies through online job fairs and should work with employees to locate openings.

“As organizations continue to embrace remote work policies during these circumstances, recruiting leaders should fill talent gaps through alternate employment models that present a lower risk to the organization’s growth,” added Ms. Smith.

Additional information is available in the Gartner roadmap, “Building a Recruiting Technology Roadmap.” The roadmap can be used by HR leaders to make informed decisions on integrating technology into their recruitment efforts.