What Employers Prefer and What Employees Want During Job Hunts

The world is no more the same as it was two years ago.

So many things have changed radically—each day dawns with a new challenge for humanity to fight and overcome.

And, we are doing it together.

But, we are losing the human touch in our lives gradually. The social distancing protocol of the new normal makes social animals (humans) most unsocial.

That’s scary to think.

We had often argued earlier that social media is the reason that makes humans unsocial. It was true but not too scary.

That’s because people still make time to meet their families or hang out with friends. Employees enjoyed the lunchtime banter with one another.

We were not entirely cut off from each other.

But, the pandemic snapped the final ties between humans and locked us in our homes for good.

Commuting to the office, catching up with your teammates over a cup of coffee, brainstorming together inside conference rooms, or discussing ideas over lunch have become a thing of the past.

The concept of remote working has appealed to the masses. It saves time and money for the employees—the flexibility of working from anywhere makes it desirable.

Maybe once the severity of the pandemic sublimes, things might not be as scary as it is now, and maybe people will end their social distance from each other.

But, traveling to work or sitting inside your cubicle for the entire stretch of 9 hours might not return.

Most of us have embraced the new normal of working from home. Most of us are looking for companies that allow us the freedom and flexibility to work remotely. And many of us prefer to work independently without having our supervisor breathing down our neck.

Yes! The corporate culture has changed for the better.

Most job-seekers are prioritizing remote work over a high pay scale. Also, most of us are still skeptical about traveling and working close quarters. Most of us are worried about crowded public transport.

And that’s because the pandemic might end in the next two years, but coronavirus will remain one of the dominant seasonal flu. The virus has already shown its worst side to the world.

We believe that no one will be ready to see that side of the virus again for a long time.

So, to understand how the pandemic changed the way we search for jobs, we need to understand what employers prefer these days regarding the right candidate selection.

#Preference 1: Good References Help

Research says 70% of jobs are not getting listed at all.

So, how do employees look for jobs in the market? Or, how do they get their phone ringing for new opportunities?

Well! Networking is the key.

Yes, networking has always been one of the preferred ways to hire new employees earlier. Now it has emerged as one of the powerful tools for recruiting new joiners post-pandemic.

Studies show that 85% of all new company positions are filled through networking.

Candidates with excellent references are better positioned to land their dream jobs. People with poor networking are still struggling to get an interview call.

As per Career Pivot, referrals have a 50% chance of getting your phone ringing for new job offers. And that is what employees and job seekers should focus more on. They should start strengthening their professional network if they wish to continue working in the post-pandemic era.

After all, competition is thousand times harder now than it was a couple of years ago.

With as many as 9.6 million unemployed US workers out there hunting for the correct position in a company, your chance of getting hired has become highly questionable.

So, start networking now!

#Preference 2: High Demand for Skilled Employees

The pandemic has witnessed a significant shift in job requirements.

If you have tried looking for a job change during and after the pandemic, you might have noticed what companies are looking for in terms of job requirements.

There has been a surge in demand for skilled workers more than ever. Average workers will find it difficult even to get a job call. Freshers might have to wait a little longer to get considered by companies. Why?

This is because the entire corporate world has shifted online, and employees are busy catering to their core responsibilities from remote locations. Training freshers can pose a challenge both for HR and management. That’s because in-person training and communication are not possible.

If the job role has specific essential requirements, employers prefer candidates who fit the position or match the needs perfectly. That will save them time and energy in training the employees for their new roles.

Companies want candidates who can easily step into their new roles without management’s help.

And, if they fail to do so, companies will soon relieve them of their duties. That’s because hundreds of other prospective applicants can take responsibility easily.

So, if you wish to survive in the rat race, you should start by understanding the key areas where you need to excel in matching the current job requirements. If you lack in any of these areas, you must build them as soon as possible.

#Preference 3: Experienced Candidates Get the Call

Like the earlier preference, companies seek experienced candidates to fill their new positions.

The social distancing new normal left little bandwidth to the companies to organize employee training and help freshers onboard the new system effectively. Yes! Unfortunately, new freshers might have to wait sometime before entering the corporate world.

Companies prefer employees with a minimum of 2-3 years of working experience in the required job qualifications and skills.

That way, the new joiners will not waste too much time and can easily fit into their new position without delay.

So, candidates should apply for roles with years of experience. Otherwise, they won’t get the interview call at all.

#Preference 4: Leadership Qualities Matter

Now, in a remote working environment, you do not have the freedom to work down to a co-worker’s cubicle to get your queries answered instantly.

Or, you cannot sit back and relax thinking that your team lead will come down to you and assign you a task.

You have to work independently.

Yes! You can approach other members of your team through virtual platforms like Slack. But, you can only have your queries answered when they are available. So, you have to self-educate yourself.

You can collaborate with your team members if the task requires you. Then again, you cannot wait for others to make the call. It would help if you took the initiative to get things done on time.

You cannot rely on or depend on others. You are responsible for your job alone.

Companies are looking for candidates who exhibit excellent leadership skills and team-building qualities. They prefer candidates who can take the initiative and easily shoulder responsibilities to get jobs done on time and at par with what is expected.

But, if you are one of those employees who rely on others or wait until the order is given, your chances of getting a job or surviving a new role will become impossible.

So, employees have to adapt to the change and reform themselves before searching the market for new jobs.

The pandemic has completely changed what we accepted as the usual way of life. Only those who can survive the trying times identify the flaws in their resume and work hard to get noticed amidst rising unemployment.

Today, employees must work around and prepare to meet any new task or challenge in their chosen companies. So, they can easily fit the requirements of the companies.

That’s how they should search for jobs post-pandemic and expect interview calls to start ringing.

We hope you enjoy reading our articles. Get more exciting content to read every day. All you need to do is sign up for our newsletter. Until then, keep on enjoying your daily Cup Of Saas with your perfect cup of coffee.