WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES DURING THE PANDEMIC?
#1 INTERVIEW QUESTION TO EMPLOYERS IN THE NEW NORMAL
As we enter the New Normal, the #1 question job seekers will be asking employers is this:
WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Following the 2008 financial crisis until about 2012, the #1 thing candidates said they wanted on their next job was to work for a “Stable company.” They had been downsized, laid off, had salaries cut and careers stalled.
They valued stability above income and that’s what they asked about.
A few years later, they wanted culture. They wanted people-first, open-door, fun and exciting work environments that reward loyalty. And that was what they asked about.
Those questions were easy to answer because they were about what you are doing now and what you plan on doing.
Now they want to know what you did.
In what will appear as opening small talk, potential candidates will ask you how the company managed the pandemic. But they are expecting a real answer.
“We survived,” is not what they want to hear.
They want to know how you managed the initial response. Be prepared to describe safety measures implemented and how you equipped people to work from home.
During the pandemic, job seekers will want to see if you truly put people above profits, and safety over sales.
Were employees furloughed and for how long? Did their benefits continue?
Unfortunately, layoffs are not always avoidable. People can forgive layoffs. But they will want to know what steps you took to prevent them. Were executive salaries cut? Advertising budget? Entertainment?
Who was cut and why?
The personnel decisions you made say a lot about the personnel decisions you will make. The business decisions you make in times of crisis says a lot about the business that you are.
There are some companies who made massive cuts while providing little to no severance and an intention to enforce their non-competes. Meanwhile there are companies actively providing transition assistance.
Which is the story you are going to tell?
Even more important than how you responded may be what are you going to do differently going forward.
It’s ok to make a mistake. It’s ok to admit you made one.
But are you prepared not to repeat it?
Nobody is going to fault you for a lack of preparedness for something you could have no way of knowing about, but they are going to be looking to see if you learned from it.
When you say things like People First, We Care, People-Centered Culture, be prepared to show that you mean it. When the next crisis comes – and there is always a next crisis – how are you going to take care of your people?