There were a lot of changes taking place over the last two years, with most of them coming about because of the Coronavirus. People were changing the way they worked and spent more time getting things done remotely, as opposed to getting it done in person. The rules around meetings were constantly changing but for the most part, people did not want to meet one another until the situation was better.
For the sake of keeping everyone safe, companies and businesses were getting their staff to complete as much of the work as they could do remotely as opposed to doing it in person. There were other changes that they had to get through. Not all companies were equipped to handle their work remotely, and some of them were getting it done in person. People working in hospitality, construction, the medical profession, maintenance, and household repairs had to work in person. There were few desk-related tasks they could complete virtually but for the most part, had to get their work done in person.
Changes to work habits over the last two years.
With these changes, people found that they did not have to stay in their apartments in the city so many of them were moving to the countryside and other places, while they were meeting deadlines and submitting work on time. For the most part, meetings and calls were virtual and online, so everyone could adapt to these changes while staying safe.
According to statistics gathered, in 2020 alone there were more than 20% of the working population who were getting their work done remotely and not coming into their office, which was a significant increase from 12-13% from the previous years. The change was a significant improvement for companies as well and they no longer had to hire people from within their city. If they were open to getting their teams to work remotely, they could now hire efficient and competent people from other cities and even countries in some cases. That means that they were getting people that matched their requirements without asking them to move which was positive and would be a long-term value add.
Restrictions during the pandemic
Many changes were taking place throughout the pandemic and people had to work on keeping up with them. One of the most significant ones was that there were rules about the way that people travelled. For the longest time. There were restrictions on leisure travelling across most of the countries. In early 2020, at the start of the pandemic, countries were working on bringing their people who were stranded in other countries back home. There were many changes that they had to get through and they were working on making these a possibility.
However, as time passed, while the situation was not the way that it was running in the past, there were some relaxation and people could start moving around. Additionally, there were proper mask mandates and vaccination drives which assisted with the process. People were now travelling in smaller numbers which was a blessing. When it comes to the way that people are getting their jobs done as well, many used this as an opportunity to travel.
With all meetings online, many were travelling to other countries and enjoying a change in the environment, while they were checking in to work every day and completing as much as they had to.
Changes to the hiring processes
Companies had to make changes to the processes that they were following when it came to hiring people. They were no longer meeting the people that they wanted to bring into their fold in person because of the COVID restrictions so they had to get through processes virtually. INterviews were now online and people had to remotely put their best foot forward.
One of the new changes, when it came to getting through an interview process, was that they had to now provide a background check. The companies that were picking them wanted to make sure that they did not have a past criminal record. Without the opportunity to meet them, they also had to make sure that they were a good fit for the work that they do and the teams that they would be working with.
While background checks were not a mandatory requirement across the board, they helped increase the possibility of getting the job. Additionally, there are a few industries that have a background check requirement for everyone’s safety. It would be places where the information they were passing around was confidential. There are various types of background checks and pending on the position that an applicant was applying for, they would need to handle the specific test. There are eight different tests and they have to make sure that they know enough about all of them.
These checks can comprise identity checks, basic DBS checks, standard DBS, enhanced DBS checks, DVLA checks, adverse credit checks, and the AML, PEPs, and sanction checks. If the position that they are connecting for had them working in a group or leading a team, they would have to connect for the enhanced test.
During the pandemic, front liner workers were the most in danger, but unfortunately, they could not work remotely either. There were no proper interview processes for them and the only thing that assisted them with getting through the process was the paperwork. When it comes to getting a background check, some websites handle the check on your behalf. All you would have to do would be to fill out a form and the information would be verified at their end. Depending on the test, they would coordinate with other departments, including the police and passport authorities to make sure that the employer was not worried about anything and was making a safe bet when considering the hire.
People can get an online CRB Direct background check and receive their results in as little time as a few hours. However, there are exceptions where it might take slightly longer depending on the specifics of the test.
