Though many of us will be returning to our offices eventually, many aspects of this startling, new world will remain modus operandi for the foreseeable future. 2020 has forever changed the way both employers and employees view the world of work.

Given the relatively higher current rate of unemployment, it seems counterintuitive that recruiting top employees has become more difficult, however, it is a fact in these unusual times. This is where our quick, successful adoption of fully remotely working becomes a boon to your organization.

Before 2020, we made 10 calls to find 1 candidate for any 1 open position. That number of calls has increased almost exponentially to 50 calls needed to garner each interested and qualified candidate. Our goal has always been to provide you with several candidates from which to choose for each position. If, for example, we provide 3 possible employees, that’s 150 calls give or take, and a massive amount of networking and database searching. And not least of all, it requires that we work as a team, even though the team cannot be in one building sharing progress and leads over the water cooler or around a conference table.

Why this dramatic turn in the recruitment landscape? “Talent is not so much hard to find, as it is hard to engage,” says Lisa Guard. Fewer people are looking to change jobs in these still uncertain times. With entire families stuck at home, and schools still not fully and consistently operational with in-person learning, many individuals loathe leaving a position that currently offers any flexibility within frequently shifting needs. Individuals who may have welcomed a job offer with greater potential financially and experientially a year ago, now prefer to stay put, not seeing a good reason to rock the boat, so to speak. Some professionals having been sidelined by the pandemic are reluctant to return to work because of health concerns or family issues.

Now imagine your HR person—or persons if your organization is large enough—administering health insurance needs, managing payroll, dealing with any of myriad day-to-day job requirements while juggling this new pandemic landscape, AND trying to find people to fill vital company positions. With fewer people job hunting, your online job posting isn’t going to attract much attention, much less the caliber of candidate you need.