Job Seekers: Differentiate Your Candidacy by Showcasing Pandemic-Era Crisis Management Skills

As the pace of recruiting continues to quicken in the third quarter of 2021, my clients are more regularly being asked about their crisis management skills, particularly in light of the recent global pandemic. Operating in a Covid-19 environment added an additional layer of stress to the workplace and required a level of quick thinking, innovation, patience, resourcefulness, empathy, and agility that many have never experienced before. Along with these exceptionally challenging circumstances came the ability to grow and learn new skills that have helped shape them as individual contributors and leaders. Below are some examples of projects many took on during the pandemic that proves their ability to create value and efficiencies for companies during a period of unprecedented disruption.

 Quickly moved operations and technology to virtual platforms.
 Created incentives to keep staff motivated and engaged.
 Developed a furlough or reduced hours strategy to save jobs.
 Ideated a new product to make up for lost revenue.
 Launched virtual version of a previously in-person service.
 Introduced new workflows to optimize productivity despite Covid restrictions.
 Reevaluated travel budgets based on Covid restrictions and identified long-term savings.
 Realigned performance goals based on productivity instead of hours worked.
 Reduced overhead expenses by renegotiating leases to accommodate virtual or hybrid work models.

In addition to operational disruption, businesses experienced a cultural reckoning as they grappled with the murder of George Floyd, leading many to implement more proactive and transparent diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Examples include:

 Launched employee resource group to amplify diverse voices within the company.
 Created a DEI committee to articulate company mission related to DEI.
 Revised hiring practices to create a more inclusive environment.
 Reviewed company policies to identify and eradicate implicit bias.
 Introduced new executive leadership role dedicated to DEI initiatives.

How did your job change during the pandemic? Did the upheaval challenge you to think more strategically, take new risks, or approach problems in a different way? Ask yourself how you reacted to the changing landscape in a way that led to improved efficiencies, communications, cost savings, or time savings or the development of new products, services, or workflows that added value to the company. Your ability to articulate your reactions to these challenges will prove valuable as you begin to search for new job opportunities in 2021 and beyond.