The coronavirus pandemic has been a challenging time for the nation’s workers, particularly for those in the job-seeking market.
Elevated unemployment rates have made competition for jobs stiff at a time when the hiring process has been affected by the threat of catching COVID-19.
Those conducting job interviews are having to decide between virtual or in-person interviews, or utilizing some combination of online meetings through Zoom or some other teleconferencing system, and the traditional, face-to-face method. It has created difficulties both for those looking for jobs and for employers trying to hire them.
Businesses and agencies across Carroll County have begun to reopen after weeks or months of closure following Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive orders. As signs now read “open,” businesses are eager to recruit new employees who are just as eager to be hired.
Bob McCoy, Carroll County’s first fire and EMS director stepped into his role early July after three interviews and months of delay. The position was one of the larger roles to be filled in the county mid-pandemic and McCoy went through a rather unique interview experience.
His first interview was conducted in late February, just before the onslaught of the pandemic and before the state’s Declaration of Emergency on March 5. A second interview, according to McCoy, was supposed to be conducted late March, but the pandemic forced the county to push back the interview to the second week of June.
According to McCoy, his second interview was conducted face-to-face in the county office building, where applicants were asked to wear a mask and socially distance themselves from each other. Hand sanitizers were also available throughout the room according to McCoy.
“It went very well and I was very comfortable even with the concerns of COVID and how they conducted the interview,” said McCoy.
McCoy’s third and final interview was in-person as well and was conducted in a much larger room that allowed for more than six feet of separation, according to McCoy. Applicants were screened beforehand and had their temperature checked as well.
Although the process was impeded by the pandemic, McCoy said he felt comfortable throughout and understood why the county wanted to interview applicants face-to-face, citing the importance of the position.
“They were hiring the first fire director for a brand-new department so they felt it should be face-to-face which I concurred with, which is why they put off the interview for three months,” he said.
Stephen Wantz, president of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, noted that the importance of the position necessitated an in-person interview.
“The importance of this position warranted the in-person interview process and we did not want to conduct it virtually,” said Wantz, adding that the board used best practices (such as masks and social distancing) to ensure the process was completed in the safest manner possible.
The new fire and EMS director wasn’t the only position filled through an in-person interview, in fact, several local businesses have been going ahead with face-to-face interviews as well.
Maggie’s Restaurant, a casual American eatery located in Westminster, said they were open to hiring new employees who submitted applications, depending on the position that was open.
Jim Breuer, the owner of the restaurant, said his preference is to do in-person interviews.
“I still prefer talking to people. Everybody has to wear a mask and everybody has to practice social distancing, but I prefer talking to people in person,” said Breuer.
Office Pride, a new local commercial cleaning franchise, opened its doors in April and said they are looking to hire new employees. According to Kim Burckhardt, owner of Office Pride, the business conducts a combination of in-person and virtual interviews. The initial interview would be over the phone while the second interview can be in-person if the candidate is comfortable, or online over Google Meet or Zoom, depending on the applicant’s comfort level.
Although many precautions have been take amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are no guidelines against in-person interviews, according to the Carroll County Health Department.
“If businesses can conduct virtual interviews, that’s great. That decreases the risk even more, but as long as people are socially distancing and wearing their face coverings, everything is fine,” said Rachel Tabler, a spokesperson from the Carroll County Health Department. “There are no guidelines against that at this moment.”
According to Tabler, if businesses are conducting in-person interviews, then certain precautions should be taken. Masks should be worn and some sort of COVID-19 screening should be put in place as well in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
Some public agencies and departments, on the other hand, have decided to go fully virtual for their interview processes.
The Carroll County Public Schools system (CCPS) is utilizing an electronic onboarding process for new employees where interviews are conducted virtually using Microsoft Teams, according to Chantress Baptist, CCPS director of human resources.
All onboarding paperwork is sent electronically using a system called DocuSign and applicants are asked to get their fingerprints done at Absolute Investigative Services, a local Westminster fingerprinting service. Baptist assured that the fingerprinting vendor practiced social distancing guidelines.
The only part of the process where an individual would need to be present in-person would be when they come in to receive their badge and get their photo taken, according to Baptist.
Baptist said that 12 new employees have been hired through the virtual onboarding process.
Westminster city government is also conducting online interviews for interested applicants. According to City Administrator Barbara Matthews, most city departments are conducting job interviews via Zoom, while some have held interviews outside.
“New employee orientations are being conducted via phone, except when a task requires the employee to be in person,” she said in a statement. “In those instances, employees wear masks and practice physical distancing.”