How the pandemic has disrupted and changed hiring

Abstract

The alarming speed of COVID-19 pandemic spreading is not only a global health crisis but also brought severe economic consequences globally, including supply-chain disruptions, temporary shut-down of production facilities etc. As one of the core business functions, the recruitment arm of the Human Resources Department was also severely hit by the effects of the pandemic and creating tremendous uncertainty. No one feels confident about what is coming next, yet everyone needs to make decisions now which will have long- term implications. In addition, to ensure that the organisations remain competitive and to aid the business growth, it is the responsibility of the HR Department to be able to source and recruit the best talent. Many organisations had adopted the global recruitment strategy that offers expatriate packages to attract foreign talents with specific skillsets complement the local talent pool. However, the travel restrictions in place added a level complexity to the application of work passes and entry permits for foreigners for border entries. Some drastic changes happened during that period to ensure business operation keep going as usual. Desperate measures has been taken and replacing the conventional way of doing things. This includes recruitment process in organization as well. Thus, the organisations need to identify the need to redefine the way they attract the best talent in an age of disruption. Therefore, this conceptual paper attempts to provide the understanding on how to achieve that.