Virtual recruiting method used to hire more employees in South Korea
Virtual recruiting has become the most efficient method for companies amid the Coronavirus pandemic, with 86% of organizations incorporating new virtual technology tools to interview candidates.
South Korean telecom operator KT said that it would hire around 400 new employees through virtual recruiting this fall.
One of the most significant benefits for virtual recruiters is to reach more candidates, in addition to complying with public health guidelines. Online recruiting also saves time and resources.
The setbacks of this form of recruitment are the additional costs required for companies to train their team members to use the software and technology competently.
KT said that the all stages of the recruitment process would be conducted with measures to prevent potential infections. “We will hold tests and interviews online instead of having applicants visit the company’s headquarters in central Seoul’s Gwanghwamun area.”
South Korea’s three mobile operators include SK Telecom, LG Uplus and KT Corp. The latter will start accepting applications for the virtual interviews on September 7.
“The company decided to hire new employees to offer jobs to young people, although there are difficulties in operating a workforce amid the coronavirus pandemic,” KT said.
The hiring process would include 400 new workers, as the company noted, including interns who will later get opportunities to become full-timers. “The divisions that are open to applicants include marketing & sales, network, information technology and research and development.”
For applicants, virtual recruiting provides access to more jobs but also requires technological knowledge in order to stand out from your fellow applicants.
Reports have shown declining job opportunities in South Korea due to COVID-19. According to a local report which surveyed 530 listed firms, “The local job market will continue to shrink in the second half of the year.”
The report revealed that 57.2 percent of companies have recruitment plans this year, down from 66.8 percent last year. Moreover, 82% of organizations anticipate a decline in external hiring across the next three months.
“Recruiting leaders are caught between the sourcing and hiring plans that were initiated before the COVID-19 outbreak and the rise in uncertainty and social and economic instability,” said Lauren Smith, Vice President in the Gartner HR practice. “As external hiring slows for many organizations, and business priorities change, leaders must evaluate different methods of recruiting and hiring.”