Most companies don’t completely shift their hiring strategies or processes throughout the year. However, the pandemic has forced many employers to rethink how they hire talent. As we (hopefully) near an end to this misery, some of these changes will permanently affect how employers hire. Here are three things recruiters will look for in 2021.
Your COVID-19 story
The virus impacted everyone differently. Some people were fortunate enough to shift to remote working while others sadly were furloughed or laid off. Regardless of your circumstances, recruiters will be looking for how you used this time. So, if you were out of work, how did you use your “free” time? Did you take some online courses or earn a new certification to improve your professional development? Did you spend some much-needed time with your family and reflect on your career goals? Or have you been working from home since last March? Regardless of your situation, recruiters will want to hear how you used this time.
You can share this in a cover letter, a resume summary, or even have it prepared during an interview question. Either way, be prepared to answer this question in 2021.
Time management proficiency
Solid time management is always something recruiters want to see in a prospective candidate. But with the possibility of working remotely, demonstrating that you can manage your time will be crucial. There will likely be questions in your interviews that relate to your time management skills. If you are working in the office or on-site, it’s easy for your manager to check-in to ensure you’re on track. However, when you are remote, you will have a lot more leeway on how you manage your time, and recruiters want to know that you are capable of finishing your daily tasks and projects promptly.
Even if you are physically working at your employer’s location, you might be working with a remote teammate in another time zone. Being capable of working with others across different time zones is something recruiters will be looking for closely.
Transferrable skills
Finally, recruiters will be looking for transferrable skills. Before the pandemic hit, recruiters were looking for candidates with the right skill sets and core competencies. Fast forward to today, and there are millions of Americans out of work. As a result, people are in the process of a career transformation and may not have all of the job-specific skills that a recruiter would typically require. But do you have similar skill sets that can transfer to this new position? That’s what recruiters are looking for right now. You can teach a good candidate any job-specific skills if they have the right background and comparable skills. Transferrable skills are the way of the future for hiring the best talent on the market.
Ready to make your career move?
So, these are just three of the skills recruiters will look for in 2021. If you are ready to transition into a new position, now is the perfect time to partner with a recruiter. We have hundreds of job opportunities across North America with fantastic clients looking to hire immediately. If you are ready to soar to new career heights, visit our job board!
