Back in January, our Founder and CEO predicted that 2021 would be a year of unprecedented turnover, calling it the “Great COVID Job Churn.” At the halfway point of the year, we’ve already seen this coming to fruition in major ways. If your organization hasn’t already begun to see turnover, you likely will in the upcoming months. In order to prepare for this, it’s critical that you have a plan in place for turnover, hiring, and transition.
It goes without saying that a majority of work became virtual in the past year and a half. But because of this, you will need to change how you work and hire going forward. Here are the key things you should consider when planning for hiring in a post-COVID world.
New Interview Questions and Styles
Here at Vanderbloemen, we always encourage asking intentional questions to determine culture and personality fit. Mission-fit hiring is critical, now more than ever. Many organizations and churches are planning relaunches in the upcoming year, and if you want to successfully accomplish your mission, it’s essential that your team members align with your mission and vision. You need to be asking specific questions that allow the opportunity to learn about whether or not the interviewee aligns with your organization’s mission, rather than simply seeing if they have the right skills.
Examples:
- What are the personal standards that you hold yourself to, and how do you see that aligning with our mission?
- How would others describe your personality in a workplace environment versus a non-work environment?
- Our organization values _____. Is this something that is important to you? Where do you see it in yourself?
- Post-pandemic, we are looking to further our mission of ______. How could you see yourself directly contributing to this mission?
- What is your ideal workplace culture?
If your organization is planning on embracing virtual work in any capacity going forward, you are going to need to adapt how you interview. Whether you’re hiring a full-time remote employee, allowing employees to take work-from-home days, or simply wanting to be prepared in case your offices need to be remote for a season, the types of questions you are asking in interviews need to include evaluation of remote work skills and styles.
Examples:
- If you worked remotely during the pandemic, what was difficult about remote work for you, and where were you able to be particularly successful?
- How do you stay organized and on-task remotely?
- How do you stay engaged with the work, mission, and vision while working virtually?
Remember to check out our comprehensive list of interview questions for the full spectrum of topics to cover to ensure you’re bringing on the right team members.
Balancing Hybrid Schedules
In the past year and a half, your organization probably experienced entirely remote work, partially remote work, and possibly an adjustment back to completely in-person work. As we’ve all slowly gone back to working in person, it’s important to evaluate and actively decide what you want your structure to look like for work going forward, rather than just rushing to get back to the old ways.
Here at Vanderbleoemn, we firmly believe that in-person makes all the difference. We believe that if virtual worked, Jesus would have Skyped in. That’s why we joyfully send our consultants to the churches, ministries, and schools that we’re working with to meet face-to-face and establish that critical in-person relationship. But, obviously, our consultants being in person with you means being remote with us here at Vanderbloemen. We understand that good work requires a balance between working alongside each other physically and allowing for remote work.
That’s why it’s critical to evaluate the pros and cons of different aspects of in-person work. Could a certain aspect of work be done better and more efficiently remotely rather than in person? Will your team be more healthy emotionally, spiritually, and physically if they work from home once a week? After almost two years of an emotional toll from the pandemic, is your team able to move back to fully in-person without major adjustments and flexibility? Should you hire new team members that are entirely remote when the value of their skills outweighs the drawbacks of them not being in office? Or does your team simply not function well if everyone isn’t working side by side?
Your team needs to carefully consider these questions going forward. We live in a very different world now than we did two years ago, and the nature of work has changed. It’s critical that, like we said, rather than rushing back to having everyone in-office, all the time, all-year-round, you consider where things could change going forward. This doesn’t mean that you need to have remote work options; it simply means that you choose what is best for the wellness, culture, and success of your organization.
In the hiring process, we are able to come alongside you to help you determine what questions you need to be asking, while also offering a third-party viewpoint of which candidates possess the right skills and vision to thrive in your organization. We would love to come alongside you in the process for your next hire so that you can spend your time, energy, and resources focusing on what your organization will look like in a post-pandemic world.
