As with most aspects of life, hiring practices have changed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rules and procedures you previously had in place may no longer apply, and you may need to implement new practices to protect everyone’s health — including your own.
Here’s what you need to know as you prepare to hire in the coming months:
Protecting Employee Health During Interviews
If you are conducting interviews in person, you must take safety precautions that likely weren’t in place before COVID-19.
Employees and candidates must all stay at least six feet apart from each other. Manufacturers should use hospital-grade disinfectants to clean any areas that are frequently touched, including door handles and restrooms. Shaking hands is out of the question.
Depending on the position and company, you may be better off conducting virtual interviews over Skype, Zoom, or other virtual meeting platforms. Even if your state is phasing back into business, it may not be a good idea to bring candidates into your workplace if it’s not necessary.
If you do choose virtual interviews, make sure that candidates have all the information they need to connect to the video. Encourage candidates to watch tutorial videos if they are not familiar with the technology you are using.
Regardless of how you choose to set up interviews, be sure to stay on top of the latest public health guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities.
Adapting Safety Procedures to New Regulations
As we learn to cope with Covid, many workplaces must institute new rules or precautions to decrease the chances of an outbreak.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released guidelines on pandemic preparedness in the workplace. Here are a few points you should be aware of:
- Employers can and should send employees home if they have COVID-19 or symptoms associated with it, such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or a sore throat.
- If a hiree has COVID-19 or its symptoms, employers are allowed to delay their start time or even withdraw job offers if they need the candidate to begin work immediately.
- Employers can require employees to work from home when possible.
- Employers can take employees’ temperatures to determine whether they have a fever.
- Employers may follow the advice of the CDC and state/local public health authorities in seeking information needed to permit an employee’s return to the workplace after visiting a specific location.
Many workplaces where contact between employees or with the public is unavoidable may find it necessary to use tools such as anti-body testing, symptom checks (such as temperature checks before the start of a shift) to reduce the risk of infections. These procedures can be implemented in most workplaces with limited impact and cost. The key is to make the processes easily repeatable, consistent, and efficient. If employees do not find it to to be disruptive and understand the importance of the safety measures, they are more likely to accept the changes quickly.
Timely Benefits to Attract the Right Workers
Many workers are coming back to hiring with strong ideas about sick leave and healthcare benefits. Employers who want to attract better candidates should consider investing in these and other benefits related to overall wellbeing.
If your workplace does not offer healthcare coverage, consider making that a priority for when you reach certain revenue goals. If you do have healthcare benefits, look for ways to expand coverage for both employees and their families.
In addition to helping with retention and making your workplace more attractive when hiring new employees, health benefits and sick leave can encourage employees to take time off when they are sick and reduce the chance of sick employees coming to work. Without paid sick leave, workers are much more likely to come to work sick, which can quickly become costly if a sickness spreads.
Get Assistance With Finding Talent
LG Resources places qualified candidates at Utah job sites, typically within 1-2 business days. As a staffing agency serving the Davis, Weber, Salt Lake, and Utah County areas, we recruit a specialized range of talent in the warehousing, manufacturing, transportation, and clerical industries.
Contact one of our office locations today to learn more about how LG Resources can meet your staffing needs.
