It's a dog eat dog talent market – one in which HR needs to take the lead
When we look back at the past year, it’s hard to believe just how much has changed. How we approach work, how we think about work, has shifted dramatically – with more onus being placed on flexibility and work-life balance. HRD spoke with Yvonne Tellis, manager of HR at North York General Hospital, who revealed the role technology has played in driving innovation over the past 12 months.
“Organizations have had no choice but to be more open to tech, since remote work has become the norm across many industries,” added Tellis. “It started with online meetings, digital signatures, calendar apps, and virtual assistants. Every people process is now ripe for evolution. What we see in consumer trends inevitably spills over to HR tech and we see that happening more now. We have used chatbots to book appointments with our dentist or hairdresser for some time.
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“Now HR is embracing chatbots for all sorts of people interactions: to answer questions, screen candidates, follow up on tasks, and maintain connections with employees and candidates. With greater technology embedded in our processes, we also have access to more data than ever. Intentionally investing time to gather insights will drive further innovation in HR.”
In amongst this innovation lurks the Great Resignation. The advent of remote work led to a global, digitized, talent market – one very much led by candidates not employers. As such, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to source much-needed skills – with employees opting to jump ship in search of greener pastures. In these trying times, it’s important for HR leaders to harness innovation in order to get ahead.
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“There has been a dramatic shift in the way that organizations approach recruitment drives,” Tellis told HRD. “It’s not just about how quickly an organization can find talent, but also about how to make the process enjoyable for candidates and interviewers. At NYGH, our processes are designed with an optimal candidate experience in mind.
“We recently designed a chatbot to engage with candidates we sourced through online ads. We selected as few questions as possible and used natural language responses so that candidates didn’t feel like they were just answering a long survey. Using a chatbot enabled us to quickly engage with candidates as soon as they expressed interest in joining our Hospital. With a limited pool of nurses available in Ontario, speed is critical to being able to fill positions quickly.”
