The Hidden Elements Of Hiring During Uncertain Times

The current crisis will accelerate the new world of freelancing

As the Coronavirus spreads and layoffs increase, there are some organizations that are still hiring. We live on separate coasts, but there are “Help Wanted” signs up at both of our local grocery stores. On a much larger scale, Amazon has committed to bringing an additional 100,000 people into its workforce, and hundreds of tech companies are looking for new people.

Many of the new positions will be contingent, or non-permanent 1099 workers. Understanding that the precarity of their positions may cause apprehension, there are a few things leaders can do to bring in the right people in the right way and help them onboard quickly and effectively.

There’s no very little need to bring people in for interviews anymore, what with Zoom, Skype, Facetime and other face-to-face platforms. Noting how quickly and professionally applicants respond to your emails or calls is going to show you how they’ll interact with your team on a daily basis. Spend a few minutes to also check out their LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram feeds to get a better feel for the kind of person they are.

We’ll all be able to be a little more selective in our hires as the applicant pool expand. Define your team or organizational culture for potential hires and ask questions that will help you determine their fit. For instance, if “teamwork” is a core value for you, ask them about a team they’ve worked within the past, how they’ve handled tough personalities around them (get specifics), and how they try to contribute in a team environment.

In this process of aligning gig workers with your culture, it’s important to ask candidates why questions. Your candidate probably has a well-rehearsed story about a difficult work situation they overcame, and they are going to sound like a champion from Greek mythology. So ask why and what? For instance, “Why did you take that direction over another?” “What would have happened if you’d gone the other way?” “Why did your value system make you make that choice?” 

The employee experience still matters to contingent workers. One of the most powerful ways to help people feel a sense of connection from Day One is to help them understand the importance of the work the organization does and the specific contributions they are expected to make. Highlight your values and mission and how those grand ideals are incorporated into the day-to-day work you do in your team.

A key to speeding productivity is to help gig workers build solid relationships with colleagues, no matter how long they’ll all be together. This isn’t about building friendships as much as it is about providing a network of people they can turn to for answers to important work-related questions.

We can have a tendency with gig employees to feel “I’m paying them for their efforts” so why should they need my praise. Our research shows that simple expressions of gratitude can be a huge motivation and productivity booster for gig workers, especially during tough times. Gratitude can transform dull jobs into ones with meaning. And a lift of motivation through gratitude requires little more than a spirit of generosity on the part of a leader.

This current crisis is going to accelerate the new world of freelancing, and will provide opportunities for organizations to bring in talent faster and make use of their talents in unique ways. It’s also going to give us leaders the opportunity to develop new skills in motivating people in a quicker manner than ever before.