With the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel coming into focus, it’s time to reassess how recruiting has changed. Most non-frontline workers have experienced a period of work-from-home for part of 2020. Some, especially women in the workplace at all levels, had seen permanent shifts to the home when at-home learning peaked. These seismic shifts have forced companies to reassess how they hire and retain top talent. Empathy is a growing recruiting tool that may be worth more than its weight in gold that offers long-term, transformative dividends.

Communication is Key

The way people understand what you mean when you say something tastes like vanilla, feelings like anxiety, stress, and frustration have similar flavors for everyone. The free flow of honest communication about expectations and understanding what is important to people creates a nurturing environment for everyone involved. Changes in performance could have nothing to do with intentions but an untenable homelife.

Speed Kills

A new pandemic tax around response times has evolved. Before the pandemic, it was common to expect responses from candidates same-day, sometimes within the hour. Increased domestic demands have not only created a delay in responses but have increased the cost of responding immediately. Now more than ever, doing one important task means putting off another equally important task. Adding empathy takes the edge off of waiting and fosters understanding.

Recruiting Top Talent

Unicorns are still out there. But recruiting teams will have to understand that even the best recruits have to yield to home life. Empathetic recruiting teams can feel like a safe harbor and add a competitive edge even against other perks. Choosing between running a rat-race at work and home with a good salary versus working hard with people who understand the reality on the ground gets pretty simple in human terms. Soon empathy and understanding may give six-figure salaries a run for their money.

Danielle Foppe is a Recruitment Manager at Business Centric Technology. If you are interested in learning more about getting the best IT talent in the Dallas metroplex, contact Danielle specializes in recruiting IT talent in Dallas, Ft. Worth, and North Texas. If you are looking for a rewarding career, contact us today.