I have been a part of Human Resources and the recruitment world for over a decade now and can surely say that the COVID-19 has changed the very nature of recruitment just like it has impacted other businesses. As per our discussions with key industry stalwarts, companies are now adding new dimensions to executive profile while hiring, including a paradigm shift in the leadership profile. They are now looking out for executives who can adapt to changing scenarios, have higher technology skills and can manage teams remotely.

As businesses detect the changes in the market and find means to adapt and re-evaluate their business models and leadership styles, Executive Search firms like HVS have also been cognizant of the changing dynamics and are working together with the clients by amending the operational style.  

My experience has also been that most companies have become comfortable with remote hiring, interviewing, and even onboarding new executives. A great deal of time has been saved by the elimination of busy travel schedules of the client and the candidates, making the executive hiring during the pandemic more efficient and simpler. We have been working together with our clients in understanding the new needs and challenging the old assumptions, making sure the shift is made for a faster and effective recruitment process.
The HVS Leadership Assessment (an online tool), an Item Response Theory (IRT) grounded assessment instrument created by HVS Executive Search and Integrated Knowledge Systems, Inc. in conjunction with Cornell University, has been the best instrument for hiring purposes during the current pandemic. This highly regarded tool by our clients for Senior Leadership hiring globally has been the most effective tool in our hiring process today.

It has been specifically designed for the service hospitality industry to provide deeper insight into an executive’s management styles and its purpose is to measure in a rigorous, comprehensive and legally defensible manner the major personal characteristics that predict job performance, especially in the hospitality industry. 

The online tool has been effectively used by us in both recruitment of prospective employees and assessment of current employees for setting training/coaching/performance goals. The digitization of the process has made the virtual assessment of the candidate’s capabilities possible and we believe will be the way forward for most executive searches. Certain leadership styles like being empathetic, highly communicative, having higher EQ, trustworthiness, adaptability, relationship-building, which have emerged as being most effective during this pandemic can be measured through the online HVS Assessment Tool.

Currently, most companies are recruiting internally and why not, this is the time to show a growth-path to executives who have been through rough times, however the assumption is that once things normalize companies will start looking outward. During the pandemic, many companies have put their hiring on hold but at the same time many are still active with their searches. Collaborating with our clients we are strengthening our network and continuing to help them by looking out for executives who will be the perfect fit for the new executive profile that organizations are seeking in the COVID era.    

¹https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/online-job-interview_9188743.htm