While weathering the current COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners need to recognise the opportunities and probabilities when economies return to a lockdown-free world. Business experts have predicted that once the global economy reopens, it will rebound swiftly, in most countries, and small business owners need to be positioned to take advantage of a potentially swift recovery. 

It’s because of this, why it’s so vital for businesses to consider their talent needs, not only during the current pandemic but also for after the crisis has passed. In this piece, we’ll explore some practical advice on what small business owners can do now with regards to hiring new staff to prepare for the future. 

1. Thinking ahead counts now more than ever. 

While it might sound counterintuitive to even consider hiring during the middle of a pandemic and economic crisis, while many people are still figuring out their next moves and adjusting to remote work, there are also many extremely talented potential hires, who now have the privacy and time to consider their next steps, career-wise. 

In fact, many sectors are currently bolstering their hiring efforts, specifically those business sectors which are serving people who are confined to their homes during the nationwide lockdown restrictions. As many people have been laid-off or furloughed during the pandemic, it’s the ideal time to hire new talent before your competition does.

On average, it takes between two to five months to fill a key position within a business, from the first interview to the early acceptance of an offer. Therefore, it means that now is the perfect time to start utilising remote work resources to solidify a virtual process for hiring any talent which you might need in the months to come. 

2. Developing new connections. 

It’s no secret that it takes time to develop a trusted connection, and most people have more time on their hands at the moment, meaning now is the opportune moment for small businesses to reach out and connect with the potential candidates whom they might want to employ.

However, before reaching out to anyone, take the time gifted to you by this pandemic, to complete some due diligence with regards to potential candidates, researching their qualifications and experience as you would during the “old normal” stages of the hiring process. Once the vetting process has been completed, we recommend using videoconferencing tools such as Zoom to establish face-to-face connections.

3. Examine your business’s current offering and where it’s headed.

Now is the ideal moment to evaluate your position as an employer and where you can make improvements in a post-COVID-19 business world. We suggest starting by reviewing your compensation and benefits packages to ensure that they are appealing and competitive to potential candidates. You could opt for an experienced recruitment firm, which can provide benchmarks as to current industry trends, for instance, salary, benefits and other perks. 

In addition to exploring what your business can offer candidates now, it’s imperative to scrutinise your business’s future plans. As noted earlier, an accelerated recovery is anticipated for late 2020, and business could recover more rapidly than expected. It’s on you, the business owner, to ensure that you have the correct team in place to capitalise on the opportunities. 

Conclusion:

It’s without a doubt that life is uncertain for everyone right now, and no-one is one hundred percent sure as to what the world might look like when we emerge from the Coronavirus crisis. While the business arena might forever be changed, small business owners can best prepare for the "new normal" by being proactive, reaching out to foster new connections, assessing their compensation and benefits packages and prepare sufficiently for when new growth opportunities present themselves.