How to hire the right talent during a world crisis

AIMS International Italy recently successfully placed four Management roles with Biogen Italia. These vacancies were assigned to AIMS Italy when the COVID-19 crisis was already underway.

I asked myself how it was possible to reach such a concrete result during these very uncertain times, especially when it comes to human capital services and specifically direct search?.

Obviously there are many reasons and answers to this question, and it would be difficult to analyse in a few lines only.

However, if I try to focus on the main subjects in this mini crisis success case, I believe that everything can be summed up in two words, namely: “Trust” and “Connectedness”.

Trust by Biogen towards us, the result of a very careful verification by the company before choosing us as an HR Partner.

I remember well that the process entailed detailed “validation” of our values, skills and experiences, made with great attention, both by HR and by the Senior Management involved.

Biogen’s confidence in the finalist candidate, chosen for hiring despite the fact that the selection steps were done remotely without any face-to-face meetings between either the candidate, consultant, HR or hiring managers (something tells me that perhaps we will all have to get used to this idea a bit …).

Biogen’s confidence in the future, knowing how to look beyond, despite a horison that is not exactly in-focus or defined.

Finally, but equally important, is the trust of the finalist candidates to welcome a new professional project and an important change during this time of epochal change.

A sort of double somersault, however, supported by a safety net of trust in the hiring company and in the AIMS International Consultant.

And then the connectedness. I believe that today more than ever, in this unnatural (un)social situation  to which we are all bound, being even closer, present, available to connect to people, be they clients or candidates, is truly a keystone for achieving results together and rebuilding the future.