COVID lockdowns have prevented many young people from participating in traditional , in-person work-experience opportunities . How did AMS reimagine the offering for clients ’ future talent ?
Jane Clark , Head of Emerging Talent Advisory , AMS
The campus season of 2020 has been one like no other . From
attraction through to onboarding and development , every part of the cycle has seen major shifts in terms of processes moving digitally in record speed .
A number of our clients had already been shifting activities to digital solutions and experimenting with new innovations . Generation Z ( people born from 1995 – 2010 ) are true digital natives , exposed to the internet and social networks for most of their lives , and are very comfortable with integrating virtual and offline experiences .
We saw a few different approaches in 2020 ; some organisations became Zoom and Teams experts overnight , moving assessment centres , internships and onboarding to these platforms . This required some heavy lifting and adaptations along the way , but it was a way to keep the ‘ lights on ’. Others leveraged internal systems and tech stacks to varying degrees of success . What still remained important was candidate experience . How can you create an outstanding and engaging experience online ? That is exactly what we did through our partnership with Meet & Engage this summer .
Organisations need a virtual and digital campus strategy
A boost to inclusion
Organisations need a virtual and digital campus strategy , and while some acknowledge this , there are other businesses that are hopping from one situation to another in survival mode with no clear plan .
Virtual solutions can ’ t replace everything in person … yet . For example , social networking at a virtual event and virtual work shadowing may still need some thought . However , these changes have brought positive inclusive changes , allowing more diverse candidates in harder-toreach areas access to opportunities ; for example , engaging in virtual campus events and virtual work-experience programmes that may not have been possible in the past .
Nicola Sullivan , Business Development Director , Meet & Engage
We ’ ve been in the business of virtual candidate
engagement , through our live chat and chatbots , for more than six years now ; but a strong focus on how to attract , assess , hire , onboard and train new colleagues virtually has been particularly pertinent during COVID-19 .
Last year ’ s global events have accelerated the use of technology in the hiring and employee journey , and it ’ s here to stay . While the office isn ’ t yet dead , this year has made us question what needs to be done in-person , and what can be experienced just as well virtually . This is not least because technology is often lower cost in terms of resource and time , as well as delivering enhanced accessibility and a reduced carbon footprint .
Supporting this theory are two decisive findings from Talentlfyt . com : 68 % of recruiting professionals say that investing in new technology is the best way to improve recruiting performance over the next five years , while 94 % of recruiters and hiring professionals say that using HR technology has positively impacted their hiring process .
The question for organisations is : how does your tech help create an engaging , personalised and relevant experience for candidates and employees alike – including future talent such as interns and those participating in work experience ?
2020 made organisations think with creativity and agility about how to deliver future talent to their business
Virtual internships
As consumers , we experience great technology in most aspects of our lives – from shopping and ordering takeaways to banking and entertainment . So , why , when we apply for a job via a careers site or join a virtual internship , should our future talent expect any less ? That ’ s why we were excited to get our heads together with AMS ’ s Early Careers team last summer to see how our technology could support its vision for virtual internships .
Our platform provided the digital vehicle for clients to deliver their virtual internships to cohorts of new talent across their business . With a personalised dashboard , a blend of videos , e-learning and group engagement opportunities are pre-configured on our platform to provide a tailored and automated virtual internship programme . The information dashboard gives the client a sense of engagement and levels of participation .
While most of us are looking forward to a blend of in-person and remote working in the future , 2020 made organisations think with creativity and agility about how to bring future talent into their business . In doing so , they have arrived at some smart solutions that I have no doubt are here to stay .