4 Tips To Get Hired In ‘The New Normal’ World Of Work

Next Avenue getty by Nancy Collamer

What should you know about getting hired if you’re searching for work now that the job market is heating up? With a record 9.3 million job postings in April, what should you know about getting hired if you’re looking for work? Will virtual interviews be conducted in the future? Is it safe to say that remote work is here to stay? Is it merely a passing fad to promote diversity and inclusion? I’ve got the answers.
My knowledge and recommendations are based on what I learned at the Indeed Interactive conference, a virtual event hosted by the job search website that featured economists, employers, and recruiters discussing hiring trends.
Here are four of the most important trends, along with suggestions for how to use them to boost your job search:
The first trend is: In today’s world, the employment process is becoming increasingly automated and virtual. The pandemic established that much of the employment process can be performed digitally, from interviews to onboarding, and there’s no going back.
“For most firms, some kind of virtual hiring processes will be here to stay,” Maggie Hulce, senior vice president at Indeed.com, said.
Recruiters also increased their use of hiring technologies, which assist them streamline the process of sourcing, screening, and arranging interviews with qualified candidates, during the pandemic.
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However, whenever it’s safe to do so, you may expect some in-person recruiting campaigns, such as job fairs, to return. Peter Sursi, the FBI’s former chief of talent acquisition, said: “People prefer to attend live events, so there’s no reason why we won’t do so again. However, because we are now more comfortable attending virtual events, I believe we will see a hybrid approach in the future.”
My recommendation: As the hiring process grows more automated, using referrals to network your way into employment is more vital than ever. This is especially true if you’re an older worker with a varied resume that can be overlooked by the screening software.
Also, make use of modern tools that make it easier for recruiters to find you on the internet. Indeed, for example, now has a “ready to work” function that lets you let recruiters know you’re available to work (like the “open to work” badge on LinkedIn.com). It appears to have a significant impact: Indeed reported that 70 percent of recruiter outreach through its site this year was to those who indicated that they were ready to work.
Trend No. 2: Many individuals and businesses continue to be interested in remote employment. “Since before the epidemic, the share of Indeed.com job listings that mention remote work has nearly tripled,” said Pabwel Adrjan, head of Emea Research at Indeed Hiring Lab.

Indeed
While it’s too early to say how many employment will remain entirely or partially virtual (and not all types of jobs can be virtual), the pattern suggests that remote work will become “pretty popular” once we’ve passed Covid-19, according to the conference experts.
“Job searchers have always valued flexibility, and whatever flexibility employers can add to their responsibilities will help them become more competitive,” Indeed economist Daniel Culbertson said.
My Tip: To find employment that are entirely or partially remote, use filters like “virtual” or “telecommute” when searching online. Take advantage of this free FlexJobs webinar, “How to Find and Land a Remote Job,” or read helpful books like Great Pajama Employment by my Next Avenue colleague Kerry Hannon to avoid work-from-home frauds and boost your prospects of landing the greatest remote jobs.
The third trend is that diversity and inclusion have risen to the top of the hiring and employment agendas. Employers have preached about diversity and inclusion for years, but the results have rarely matched the rhetoric. Employers are finally taking this issue seriously in the context of the George Floyd murder and the ensuing public outrage.
“It feels different this time,” said Lance LaVergne, senior vice president and chief diversity officer of PVH Corp, a fashion and lifestyle company. “Consumers’, employees’, and other stakeholders’ demands and expectations have transformed the game, making organizations’ commitment to diversity much more public and apparent. It’s no longer merely a feel-good, do-the-right-thing endeavor.”
My recommendation: Do you want to work for a company that values ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation diversity? Glassdoor.com (an Indeed subsidiary) debuted a tool in February that allows users to filter company ratings, CEO ratings, and workplace-factor ratings by race/ethnicity, gender identity, parental or caregiver status, handicap, sexual orientation, and veteran status. Salary levels are also broken down by gender and race/ethnicity.
You may check how Hispanic employees rate their company’s culture, how LGBTQ+ employees view senior leadership, or what the typical wage is for people who identify as female, male, or non-binary in a specific role.
Trend number four. It’s still difficult for senior job seekers to find work. While I was pleased to learn about the current increased focus on gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation diversity programs, I was disappointed to learn that age was rarely cited as a significant factor.
In reality, the situation for older workers may be deteriorating.
Heather Tinsley-Fix, a senior advisor with AARP, said that many older workers continue to feel alienated by recruiters during the one session that addressed ageism, “Recruiting for All.”
“We polled workers aged 45 and up in 2018 and discovered that 61% had encountered or witnessed ageism in the workplace. In 2020, the ratio will have risen to 78% “Tinsley-Fix made a point.
“While many firms have devised training initiatives for a culturally diverse workforce, few have struggled with age as a diversity component,” according to the website of SHRM, the nation’s biggest human resources trade association.
Tinsley-Fix stated: “Some professions, such as health care, appreciate experience, but it’s not fantastic overall, and it’s something we need to pay attention to.”
My Advise: To counteract ageism, follow Tinsley-advice Fix’s and emphasize your aptitude and desire to learn when applying for jobs.
If you got an online certification or learned a new tech skill during the epidemic, for example, listing those accomplishments on your résumé and LinkedIn page displays your dedication to lifelong learning.
And, to really wow interviewers, use the SOAR framework (Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result) to demonstrate that you have proven soft abilities, such as sense-making and critical problem solving, that make you a compelling job prospect.
“As more of our occupations become automated, you need to emphasize those key human abilities,” Tinsley-Fix added./nRead More