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eIssue 208 – November 2021

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Take care: Best practices for Leadership

Wellness

Hiring the Right Workforce

ªFROM Hd’s desk: eXPeRT’s VOICe Post-Pandemic Evolution of the Hiring Process

ªFuTuRe FORwaRd Achieving Acculturation when Onboarding Virtually

ªQuICk BITesChecklist for a Good Virtual Interview

ªdeaR COaCH Connecting with the Team as a Virtually Onboarded Leader

ªLeadeR’s deskHow to Recruit the Right Talent Virtually

ªFeaTuRed:BusIness Case Virtual Onboarding : Is it a Success?

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Issue 208 – November 2021


EXPERT’S VOICEHd’s dESk

From

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Following the last question, what are the trends you have observed in this new-age recruitment process?

Post-Pandemic Evolution of the Hiring Process

Considering the impact of the pandemic, what is different about recruitment now?

î Face-to-face interviews allow the interviewers to access the candidate’s presentation and communication skills in a formal setting. On the other hand, virtual interviews can streamline the process, allowing us to screen out 80% of the candidates in a more cost effective and time efficient manner. The engagement between the candidate and the interviewer should be a mutual one. When potential candidates visit our office, they can feel the actual environment and observe the interaction between staff, which further enables them to assess whether they can fit in well with the organization’s culture. There are still certain values that face-to-face interviews bring, which are difficult to be replaced by the virtual one; and so, a hybrid mode could become the new norm, incorporating the best of both.

î COVID-19 has shifted a major sector of the workforce to work remotely, and thus the virtual interviewing process has gained popularity. The pandemic has accelerated the acceptance of virtual

interviewing as an alternative solution by many HR professionals and recruitment managers. On the other hand, as an outdoor training provider, we are highly people-oriented; and the face-to-face interviews

which allow the in-person engagement is still preferred. However, we have had to make certain adjustments in response to the lock-down and social distancing policies - an initial virtual interview is

done as a screening before the second round of face-to-face interview is conducted.

- By Ines Wong, Leadership and Learning Development Manager, Human Dynamic, in conversation with Mr. Law Kwok Ping, Head of Staffing and Development, Outward Bound Hong Kong

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EXPERT’S VOICEHd’s dESk

From

Is there anything HRs should do to convince business leaders and top management on what more they can do to accommodate the talent acquisition process?

î Especially when we are talking about employer branding, this is a big project for the organization, which involves different teams and departments, and HR must get executives to buy into a more structured approach. Although today’s decision-makers are more inclined to support investment in employer branding, additional education will be needed before commitments are made. Measurable results must be recognized by leaders and managers to get their support. For instance, the number of followers on our social media has been growing exponentially after our active promotion on employer branding. Knowing that our value and mission is made aware to the larger public, the management team will be more ready to support with action.

As the recruitment process nowadays is entirely virtual, what are some of the challenges you may have faced? What has been done to improve the hiring experience?

î While virtual interviewing is becoming more popular, demand for going virtual has also increased, not only from the recruitment side, but also from managers as well as potential candidates. Managing their expectations will be part of the challenge, so letting them know the value of in-person interviews is also important. We have experienced situations where in-person interviews are totally impossible during the lock-down, and the process can only be done entirely virtually. In that case, we provide a longer training or probation period for the new hire after they have joined, thus allowing more time for the new hire to get used to their new role, and also giving some buffer time for the managers to observe their performance and personal qualities. But perhaps, first-of-all, the upgrade of hardware and technology is essential. A good webcam can make a huge difference to your professional presence.

Any resource or approach that can be leveraged to take the recruitment process further?

î Nowadays, employer branding has become increasingly important for organizations to attract the right talent. In the past, most people thought that hiring is just as simple as placing an ad in the newspaper or on the recruitment site. Whereas today, we need to market our organization to job seekers. We have put more efforts in establishing the reputation and shaping the culture and value of the organization to ensure that the aspiration of our “Ideal Candidate” aligns with ours. To give a few examples, we have showcased our work culture on social media, launched talks to highlight our organization’s mission and philosophy, we have let more people know what we are doing and the impact we bring to the society. In return, activities we have organized have also gained a considerable amount of attention.

Here, at Outward Bound, we respect employees’ autonomy and keep a supportive attitude towards their personal development. However, they must be 100% committed during their employment period. This message is implemented not only in the pre-recruitment stage, but also during onboarding, and is reinforced in performance reviews and meetings. The biggest challenge is to help leaders understand that employer branding is not just a one-time effort, but an on-going practice that should be built into the whole

talent acquisition process.





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We can all agree that post Covid-19,

the ‘new normal’ will be what the future workplace will look like, especially for ‘new joiners’ and the onboarding process.

Achieving Acculturation when Onboarding Virtually- By Jessica Ann Michael

For some companies, the

‘new normal’ could simply be

automation of payroll. For example,

digitization of work processes compared

to manual files and bulky folders. or it could

be something more like working from home or remote

working. More importantly, it will include the checking of

temperatures at the entrance, giving out hand sanitizers,

conducting regular sanitization for the whole office space, wearing

double masks, and maintaining social distancing, especially if the workforce is

going to be working at the office.A leading local bank in Malaysia has

taken the first step in introducing the hybrid model of working from home and

in office, for those who wish to do so. This is a brilliant step in challenging the ‘one-size-

fits-all policy’, especially as we are all social creatures. We may not prefer to work from home

over a long period of time, and sometimes we do need interactions with others in person. Some of

us, on the other hand, love working from home even permanently, if the company allows it, as it helps

balance work and personal life at the same time, in addition to the time saved from not having to commute

back and forth from the office.Companies in the future may see some teams favouring

all five days a week in the office, whereas some may never wish to come in at all. Some companies may then decide

sO, wHaT eXaCTLy Is THe ‘new nORMaL’?

FORWARdFuture




Copyright © 2021 Human Dynamic. All Rights Reserved.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

All of these tips can be useful for those who choose the hybrid work model or even to work from home. As we have the technology, let’s use that to our advantage!

Communication is key when it comes to connecting with the workforce, be it new joiners or existing employees, and in maintaining a positive team culture when working from

home or in the office.

Have a

Welcome Pack sent

to the new joiner’s home

for their first day of work.

If the CEO or MD is available to give a

welcome speech, that would be great, or else

a video of the speech can be played instead. The HR

department should conduct an interactive onboarding

session, with cameras turned on, to outline the organization’s

policies and guidelines, systems, and internal sites.

The HR person should then introduce the new joiners to the Heads

of Departments (HoDs), whereby the HoDs have a 5 to 10 minutes sharing

session of how long they have worked with the company and why they chose to join the

company. They are your Brand Ambassadors after all!

The new joiners

should then be assigned to their respective Managers, who would introduce them to their teams and workflows.

Have regular check-ins by Managers on the well-being of their team members, and how they are coping with their performance.

Have brainstorming sessions with team members on how to improve processes or work better as a team remotely or in the hybrid model.

Have virtual 15-minute coffee sessions daily or once a week, in the morning or after lunch, to just talk about anything and everything that is not related to work, to maintain the personal

connect and engage the human touch.

Virtually celebrate milestones, achievements, birthdays or anniversaries on a monthly basis by sending over a slice of cake to each team member.

Team bonding activities can also be done via Zoom by having treasure hunts, mini competitions, charades or quiz sessions over half a day.

Perhaps once a week, on a Friday, Managers can have a healthy Friday with Zumba, Dance or Yoga sessions at the end of the day.

To get the CEO involved with the entire workforce, there can be ‘Breakfast with the CEO’ once a quarter or even once a month, where any concerns can be raised and answered during this time.

tHings tHAt cAn BE DONE IN tHE ONBOArDINg PrOcEss

whether they still want to retain a physical office space or whether they would want to just rent out conference rooms or training rooms for a minimal cost at co-working spaces, if a townhall is ever required for all employees.

Companies mandating days in the office risk alienating employees who now desire greater flexibility. one main reason for Managers wanting to bring people back into the office is because they think “i can go back to managing my team the way i used to, which was to rely on what i could see”.

However, the upside to working permanently from home or with the hybrid model is that it does away with the physical office space, which could mean a bulk of saving for the organization, that can be used to enhance the C&B package and Employee Recognition program for the workforce, or to invest in Learning & development as well as innovation. This will certainly make for a happier and even healthier workforce.

We have learnt in the past year or so, that working from home or remotely is not all that bad.it has some perks for the employees in the sense that they are able to spend more

quality time with their loved ones while working

from the comforts of their homes, and productivity levels have shown

to have increased while working from home.

if companies do really decide on working from home permanently, or even with the hybrid model; here are some of the things they can do in their onboarding process, maintaining the organizational culture as well as employee engagement and bonding amongst team members in the entire workforce :

HOw THen, dOes THIs aFFeCT THe ‘new jOIneRs’ and THe CuLTuRe OF THe wORkPLaCe?

FORWARdFuture





Rate yourself from 0 to 5 on the following questions: 0 for strongly disagree; 5 for strongly agree.

BITESQuick

checklist for a good Virtual Interview - By Keertana Srinivasan

� Prepare yourself for the interview. Although you are sitting for a virtual interview, you cannot be searching the web for any answers or queries. Ensure that you take the time out to anticipate and prepare yourself for some of the common interview questions. This can boost your confidence.

� It is important to make a connection with the interviewers to stand out as a key candidate in their assessments. Don’t be afraid to share any personal interests and try to find some common ground. Interviewers may appreciate a break from the monotony of the regular virtual interview process.


With the rise of the post-pandemic

‘new reality’, the virtual interview is the widely accepted onboarding procedure for new joiners with the organizations. Although the virtual interview does carry forward many of the key aspects of a regular face-to-face interview – it helps the interviewer to meet with the candidate and understand how suitable they are as a fit to the team, job role and organization – it must be acknowledged that the challenges posed in the virtual environment may be quite different, and the strategies to keep in mind, for both the interviewer and the candidate, need to be adapted to the virtual setting.

Let us look at a few aspects that should be checked when engaging in a virtual interview:

FOr tHE INtErVIEwEr

FOr tHE cAndidAte

� Prior to the interview itself, put the candidate at ease by sharing the job role expectations, timeline for the interview, technology platform, names of the interviewers and maybe even a virtual background. This would help the candidate feel accepted and better prepared for the interview.

� Pre-plan the interview by providing some structure to the questions to be asked. Highlight the most essential questions for the job role and candidate profile, and ensure these are addressed. Develop standardized questions and ratings to effectively compare the competencies of different candidates.

tEst YOur tEcHNOlOgY: Whether you are the interviewer or the candidate, it is essential that you enter the interview room with a seamless touch-

point. Ensure that your internet network is strong, and that your camera and microphone are working efficiently. Poor connectivity and audio-visual presence can be largely off-putting for the others in the virtual meeting. As we only have the virtual platform as our point of contact, it is important to ensure that the interaction is seamless.

cHEck YOur sEttINg AND MINIMIzE DIstrActIONs: Just like any regular interview, it is important to stay focused and distraction-free throughout the

process. As a candidate you would definitely like to display an aptitude of being able to focus on the task on hand, and as an interviewer it is key to be able to pay attention to all that the candidate has to say and offer within the limited time of interaction. Confirm that your lighting is sufficient, and any background noise is minimal (as far as possible), to ensure fewer distractions and better focus on the other.

DrEss FOr tHE INtErVIEw: Although in the current situation we may appear for any virtual interview right from our bedrooms, it is important to still dress

up and appear formal. Men could wear a button-up shirt, a blazer or tie and women could wear a skirt and a blouse or a dress with a blazer. This professional clothing implies that you are serious about the interview and gives the right impression.

MONItOr YOur BODY lANguAgE: In the virtual setting it is sometimes easy to forget that the other person does not get the opportunity to shake your hand

or observe your sincerity through the screen. It is important to maintain the right body language to show the other person that you are interested in the meeting and are listening to what they are saying. You should sit up straight, smile, and keep your camera at eye level for ease of communication. Maintaining eye contact is essential to create the connect on a virtual level, and it is important to keep your eyes focused on the screen.

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COACHDear

connecting with the team as a Virtually Onboarded leader- By Lina Lam

uNDErstAND tHE OrgANIzAtION: Normally, as you are hired at a higher rank in the roles of leadership and are coming on board with greater experience, the company might shorten the onboarding period as they expect leaders to implement their new plans or strategies as soon as possible.

Thus, no matter what the company has prepared for you and for how long the onboarding program is, personally, you should not neglect and take initiative to understand the values, norms, and guiding assumptions in the organization. Try to look for stakeholders whom you can seek help from, and ask for resources from other peer leaders. This requires you to be more pro-active in connecting with others in the virtual work environment, like arranging virtual coffee meets to chat and learn from other team leaders. Missing cues on how to behave in the organization can negatively affect how others perceive you as a new leader.Request regular meetings with your supervisor to have a mutual understanding of expectations for your performance. Understand the organization's expectations for your new leadership role and develop a strategic plan for what you should do and how you should work with the team during your first few months on the job.


Dear coach, I have recently joined a company as the new manager of a team of five members. Most of the team members have worked with the company, some of them in the same team, for over two years. All employees have been working from home for more than a year after the outbreak of COVID-19. Since the previous team manager left the company abruptly last year, the team has been working as a leaderless team for over six months, and the team morale has been greatly impacted. As a virtually onboarded new leader, what strategies can I use to improve the team’s performance?

Thank you for reaching out to us, and congratulations on your onboarding to a new adventure as a virtual team leader! You may be faced with various challenges in this new leading position as managing a team with low morale is challenging, leading a virtual team is daunting, and onboarding virtually is also tough.

Onboarding is so much more than a single day or a week-long orientation session; it could take more than months to acquire the necessary new skills, meet new people, and integrate into a new work culture. While all the above does happen in a virtual work environment, it may be required for you to devote more time and energy to thoroughly complete this onboarding process virtually. Onboarding is a learning and emotional journey. There are three different aspects I would like to highlight that you should take note of, that would help you manage the transition you are currently facing.





COACHDear

uNDErstAND tHE tEAM:

Be aware of the team dynamics and the communication pattern, and how the team has worked in the absence of a team leader. Understand how communication works in your team while working virtually. Also, inform the team of your preferred communication mode and find ways to integrate your communication pattern along with their existing ones.Arrange one-on-one meetings with individual team members to understand each of their responsibilities and potential. Ask the members’ challenges while working from home and understand their personal life to create team bonding and a strong connection even in the virtual setting.

Show empathy and appreciation to the team members for how they managed to keep the team running for the last six months without a leader. Remember, the team members also experienced the transition journey of having you as their new team leader. it’s critical to share with the team members how you want the team to work, and not just what you want them to achieve.

While you may have a lot of strategic plans, and may also hope to implement them soon, to increase your team’s performance, don’t forget to build up team relationships as

they are the people that will support your work. Teams are comprised of people who understand one another — and one another’s emotions — in order to effectively work together.


OnbOArDIng

is just the beginning of the fulfilling journey between you, the team, and the organization, in your career path at the new company. It should continue to be strengthened through enhancing team cultural alignment, building relationships across the organization, and achieving excellence in your role.

NEw lEADErONBOArDINg

teAM

OrgANIzAtION

seLF

uNDErstAND YOursElF:

onboarding is both exciting and stressful; leading a virtual and leaderless team may bring you twice the excitement and stress. Be mindful of your emotions during the transition and be aware of any potential blind spots that might prevent you from managing the team smoothly. You may have to adjust the speed at which you are implementing new strategies instead of pushing hard on yourself and the team.

Learn to be a mindful leader - take an honest look at yourself, ask questions, and reflect on a regular basis on your leadership style with the team.

Seek coaching to support yourself in managing the transition, and get advice on seeing the team dynamics from a wider perspective to help you strategically lead the team with a purposeful direction.



dESkLeader’s



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How to recruit the right talent Virtually- By Candy Yip

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every important decision in an organization

is happening virtually, including recruitment. Virtual recruitment has become a common practice for most organizations in the post COVID era. So what can an organization do to be better prepared for the new virtual recruitment practice?

According to ‘PwC’s Future of Recruiting Survey’, almost half of the newly hired candidates turned down a job offer as they faced a poor recruitment experience with the organization. Considering that the recruitment process is the first point of interaction between a new joiner and the organization, it is important to ensure that the process is seamless, despite the new environment of work that most organizations are having to get used to. Let us explore how we can make the best use of technology to support you and your organization in the virtual hiring process.

� Build your employer brand through various digital platforms, i.e. corporate website, social media etc. A stronger employer brand will facilitate the process of attracting the potentially right talent for your organization. For example, post some internal corporate events, i.e. team building, wellness workshops etc., on the corporate website and social media platforms to display an energetic and caring culture in the organization.

� reach a wider pool of candidates through social media and online recruitment portals. Other than company networks or agencies, online recruitment portals and social media platforms would also be effective channels to help filter candidates who meet the hiring requirements. Find out the most popular online recruitment channels in your location and reach out to the right profile of candidates through that channel. For example, LinkedIn works well for recruitment in some countries, like India.

� conduct video interviews and online assessments with a speedy and strong network. The video interview is now a crucial part of the virtual recruitment experience. If it goes smoothly, the candidate would have more confidence in the organization. Otherwise, it might ruin the candidate’s impression. This

also provides an opportunity for the interviewers to understand the candidate’s body language and interaction styles, better acclimatizing the interviewer to the candidate’s capabilities.

� take your candidate on a virtual tour of your office to let them experience the corporate culture and environment. Prepare a video to present the office environment, the team, events etc. so that the candidate can experience and feel the ‘reality’ of working with the organization. This will help them understand more about the organizational culture and team’s outlook. This can be hosted in the company website or on any other suitable platform.

� Engage your new hires with personalized online onboarding. As the new joiners are working remotely, try to check in more with them so that they do not feel isolated or ignored. Hold regular meetings with the new joiner to get him or her familiar with the team and work as well. Ensure that you connect on a personal level and not just a professional one, so that you may get to know them better as a person and help them feel comfortable and accepted as a part of the team. A healthy relationship with team members would lead to a more nurturing work environment for new joiners. Assign a buddy to the new joiner so as to build up more connections and orientate him or her with the operations.

ExPlOrINg BEst usE OF tEcHNOlOgY tO suPPOrt VIrtuAl HIrINg PrOcEss

1 BuILd

2 ReaCH

3 COnduCT

5 enGaGe

4 Take


rEFErENcEs:« https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/workforce-of-the-future/library/new-virtual-reality-of-recruiting.html

« https://talentin.eu/how-to-make-your-virtual-recruitment-a-success/

« https://www.predictiveindex.com/blog/virtual-onboarding-process/

While hiring in the virtual era does pose its own set of challenges to the candidate as well as the organization, it is important to ensure that you make the best use of technology and welcome new joiners with a warm and approachable environment, thus enhancing team cohesion and organizational success.





FEATUREdBusiness Case

abc


At HuMAN DYNAMIc, we offer a comprehensive work

life coaching program, which encompasses a variety of services for employee well-being. Check-in Calls for virtually on-

boarded employees is a new initiative taken up by Human Dynamic for our client organizations. The feedback obtained through this process is entirely confidential and a generic feedback report is sent out to the organization including only demographics, and no identifying details of the employees are mentioned. This process has seen considerable success with our client organizations, as the management is able to attain an honest review of their newly cultivated virtual onboarding process, thus enabling them to work on any weaknesses and create an enhanced experience for further onboarding processes.

The feedback obtained from new joiners consists of 4 categories being rated on a scale of 1-5, where 5 is the highest score, along with their own qualitative feedback on what could have been done better for an overall improved experience. The main categories addressed are – pre-onboarding, onboarding, buddy support and line manager support.

Virtual Onboarding : Is it a success?- By Sonia Hillary

In order to do that, the best way is to look into what worked and what did not, and this

can be carried out through the process of

feedback.

With the new work environment that has taken over the global

workforce, it is essential to ensure that employees stay in a good place mentally as well as emotionally, as a happy employee would also be a productive employee. Every organization needs to ensure that employees are well taken care of, to ensure a smooth workflow and to maintain productivity levels and prevent any kind of burnout.

With the virtual workspace, many organizations have now started to virtually onboard employees for about a year and a half now, and it is essential that such organizations change their onboarding processes to accommodate the various aspects of the ‘new normal’ for a new joiner to their organization.

The virtual onboarding process possesses a number of challenges for both hiring managers and executives who are taking the interview. They cannot read the body language of candidates and there is a real time disconnect in their communication. often, one questions, in this environment, is the candidate a good cultural fit, do they not only possess the competencies required for the job, but also the ability to fit into the team and work efficiently in the virtual setting? What can the management do to ensure they are smoothly on-boarded, how can they re-architect the workplace to accommodate this shift, have they considered how the new age worker has changed over the past year?





FEATUREdBusiness Case

bc

lEt us tAkE A quIck lOOk At sOME OF tHE FEEDBAck tHAt wE HAVE rEcEIVED FrOM tHE NEw jOINErs:

It is also important to keep in mind that as a new joiner, they not only have to download a lot of relevant information about their new organization and the new job role, but they also need to get used to new co-

workers and a new work environment. It is important to pace out the orientation sessions and include interactive sessions with their new teams, to ensure that new joiners have sufficient time to efficiently soak in the given

information and get accustomed to their new working environment. While virtual onboarding is still a new process, it is essential for any organization to evaluate their current

policies in place and innovate new ones to ensure a smooth and holistic experience for future virtually on-boarded employees.


¢ Most of the new joiners stated that they preferred a physical onboarding as compared to a virtual one, owing to better interaction; but they also understood that given the post-pandemic situation, this wouldn’t be possible. 1

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¢ An interesting response was recorded from an employee who said that the history, company culture, real life case scenarios and future goals should have been added – where the company was and how far they’ve come. This would give a stronger and more concrete idea of the target or aim of where the company is heading towards. For this to happen, each department head should speak to all new joiners. It also harbours a sense of loyalty towards the company.

¢ There were a few challenges faced as well. A few employees had issues with receiving their remote-working systems in a timely manner, which made it arduous for them to work as it took several days to resolve. Another situation was when the employees asked the HR about the POC for various issues, but the HR was unable to put them across to the relevant person. The employees had to resort to asking other colleagues to do so. These could be valuable learnings for any organization, to ensure a smooth virtual onboarding process going forward.

¢ Another important feedback was to have shorter and multiple orientation sessions, especially for the information about the company and the HR policies, rather than one long session. This would have made the policies more clear to the new joiners, and it would have enabled them to go through the material and clarify their doubts.


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