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Successful headhunting in times of Corona

Headhunting became more digital: Personal consultant Hans Ulrich Gruber is experiencing a convergence of national and international selection processes during the corona crisis. Good people are still sought after.

In the evening he has another skype conference concerning a top-level position together with five participants on four screens. Next to personal consultant Hans Ulrich Gruber and the candidate, two executives and the responsible HR manager are participating. A job interview via skype isn´t that special, as top-level positions are often filled internationally. However, today the candidate comes from Germany and would have personally visited the company, if the corona virus hadn´t changed the workings of companies from one day to the other.

The national selection processes are converging with international ones.

“Since the beginning of the crisis I´m observing that the national selection processes are converging with international ones”, says the experienced headhunter Hans Ulrich Gruber. “For example, when I have an open position in the IT sector and the candidate comes from Turkey or Buenos Aires, two cases that we have actually had before, in such a case we would hold up the first interview via a video conference”. Right now, most companies are using the same process for national positions as well. “And if personal meetings occur, they have to take place under stricter safety precautions”, says the personnel consultant. The CEO would, for example, meet the candidate alone, in a safe distance, in the evening after most of the staff have left the office.

Good people are always sought after

Hans Ulrich Gruber is experiencing that good people are still sought after. “The IT, construction and engineering industries that I focus on, are still looking for experts and executives”, explains Hans Ulrich Gruber. Nevertheless, the candidates’ disposition to switch jobs has curbed a bit. A few that, two weeks ago were willing to switch jobs now prefer to wait and watch the current developments. Luckily, even in times like this there are still enough good candidates that are currently seeking change and improve professionally. An initiative on part of the candidates can be worthwhile. “I reply immediately to all inquiries”, says the personal consultant. Just recently he placed a candidate in the selection process for a top-level position within only three days.
Find more information at: www.ihrpersonalberater.net