Virtual. Reality.

The pandemic has changed how we live, affecting just about everything we do on a daily basis. Times have changed, and a completely virtual recruiting and onboarding process is the new reality. There was no time for evolution in 2020 as we watched the fluid daily situation of the global pandemic; it took our team’s ability to learn and adapt on the fly to provide the best experience for all involved.  

At FORCE, connecting personally with our applicants is a must. In a corporate world where values and cultural ideals are communicated with the hope of aligning with candidates’ needs, meeting them live at our office was the norm. Thus, one of our challenges in the new virtual world was adapting to interviews going completely virtual, as well as conversing candidly to convey the FORCE spirit and our ability to Bring science to life. Our team readily embraced these new opportunities (including one of our biggest ongoing challenges: knowing whether technology will cooperate). 

After creating a positive virtual interview and hiring experience, next we had to quickly onboard and integrate our new team members for both individual and team success. This isn’t a transactional experience but a strategic and relational one. Our onboarding process and team worked intentionally to ensure that each new team member felt informed, prepared, and welcomed every step of the way. Creating virtual experiences that were similar to in-office experiences—the informal gatherings that happen naturally in person, such as coffee breaks and departmental meet and greets—also had to be integrated into our new virtual setting. 

There’s no better reflection of FORCE’s successful adaptation than feedback from our new team members: 

• “Seamless from start to finish” 
• “The team was timely in response, the interviews very well organized, and the process easy to understand” 
• “You made the interview process feel welcoming and personal despite not being physically face to face” 
• “What impacted me the most was how organized everything was and how everything flowed so seamlessly. Having all my materials ready for me even before my first day made me feel like a valued member of the team and set the tone for a great onboarding experience”  
• “I’ve never seen a company with so many great devices to help their employees learn or so many different staff members willing to do the teaching!” 

We’ve learned that in a virtual world, the time to hire can be shorter, with a broader reach to connect with talent, although our competition has the same advantages. As a result, we’ve become even more intentional in communicating who we are, connecting our team, and adapting to the ever-changing environment. At a time when feeling connected to others is essential, I’m humbled by and proud of how all of my colleagues have lived the FORCE attributes: Passionate, dedicated, accountable, inquisitive, competitive, adaptable, professional, and team mentality are the DNA that makes us successful and binds us as a professional family.