The Show Must Go On: How Local Logic is Adapting our Hiring Process During COVID-19

Local Logic started 2020 with some exciting hiring plans. We spent time developing our hiring strategy with plans to grow the team exponentially this year, and created a hiring process that we felt would support that growth.

But as 2020 has quickly shown us all, the best laid plans go awry.

With no desire to slow down, Local Logic is adapting its hiring strategy and process for the changing landscape. Some things have changed, but a lot of the core aspects of our hiring process have remained the same.

What hasn’t changed?

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We’re keeping our process honest

Above all else, we strive to run an honest and open hiring process. This means being honest with candidates as well as with ourselves. We were swift in reevaluating our hiring needs and priorities in the context of the current crisis, which in turn allowed us to communicate to current and prospective candidates any changes or updates to our hiring plans without significant delay.

We believe that a good hiring process is two sided

We want to efficiently learn as much about you as possible, but we also try to design a hiring strategy that allows all candidates to understand if we are the right fit for them. We do this by making sure candidates get to meet a good chunk of the team, get to interact with the leadership team, and hopefully get a good feel for how they can evolve professionally alongside the company.

We strive for clear communications

Clear communication is twice as important now in a time of great uncertainty. We communicate with candidates weekly about the hiring process, and give as much information as possible about hiring timelines and processes when we talk to them. Whether that means letting them know that a process is delayed indefinitely, there are new opportunities available, or that the scope of the job they were interviewing for may have changed in light of the current situation, we are committed to being open with candidates as the situation evolves and changes.

The Place
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We’re committed to our culture and values

Our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive company culture starts with the hiring process. We aim to build a pipeline of candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences who will raise the bar at Local Logic. We read CVs and cover letters carefully—so make sure yours is up to date and the best it can be! We’re seeking unconventional experience that would make candidates truly exceptional, and try to give everyone the best possible chance for success.

One unfortunate side effect of the current crisis is a wave of layoffs that have left talented people unemployed and looking for opportunities. While an extended candidate pool seems like a good problem to have, we can’t ignore the stress and uncertainty it brings to so many people in our cities.

We are more conscious than ever of our commitment to build and foster a great team and the responsibilities that come with such a commitment  This also gives us the opportunity to double down on our mission to view candidates for their potential at Local Logic—not just their past accomplishments and experiences.

What has changed?

Workhard Anywhere
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Pivoting to a completely virtual hiring process

We’re bringing our interview process entirely online, using phone calls and video chats to conduct everything from the initial screening to the final interview and offer. This means keeping a few things front of mind to make sure our hiring process stays honest, fair, and enjoyable for everyone.

Virtual conversations are missing the non-verbal clues and in-person interactions that help round out an interview process. Instead, we must be even more intentional and honest in our questions and interactions with candidates. We have to ensure that not only we are getting the full picture of a candidate, but they are also getting an accurate picture of Local Logic’s company culture and the role they’re applying for.

This may also mean adding more steps to an interview process than usual! Not having everyone in the same office to interview a candidate means that it doesn’t always work out to have everyone meet a candidate in the same interview. So we are adding shorter interview segments where needed to make sure the candidate meets everyone they need to.

Being extra understanding and compassionate

Finally, compassion is essential at a time like this. We know candidates may be dealing with challenging circumstances so we are striving to be as compassionate and understanding of sudden changes as possible.

Keeping lines of communication open, and acknowledging that working from home sometimes means listening to dogs barking, kids screaming, or someone’s roommate or partner on another call in the next room! It’s all part of the new reality we are living in, and we want candidates to know it’s ok to be human.

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The final word

Quarantine or not, our hiring goal is the same as it’s always been: to hire exceptional people who will thrive at Local Logic and be integral parts of propelling our company forward. If this sounds like you, check out our open positions here: locallogic.co/careers

Max Leblond

April 20, 2020 | 5 minutes read