Virtual hiring became a necessity when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the hiring process. Pacific Cycle was in the middle of hiring their VP of Brand and Creative when they were forced to close their offices. They moved forward with the process remotely, making a key hire without the traditional in-person interview.

The entire hiring party joins us via Zoom to share the challenges and successes they encountered. This panel includes Pacific Cycle’s Nando Zucchi (President), Tim Sheridan (VP of Human Resources), Lee Jakobs (VP of Brand and Creative), as well as Senior Executive Recruiter Sara Spirko.

Pacific Cycle is based in Madison, Wisconsin, and is the parent company of legendary brands like Schwinn, Mongoose, and Kid Trax.

Highlights from our conversation include:
-What they thought the hiring process would look like (6:24)
-Their concerns about virtual hiring (9:00)
-How they addressed those concerns (10:40)
-How the team and Sara effectively worked together (12:42)
-Lee’s experience on the candidate side (14:52)
-Why they chose to focus on competencies (18:59)
-The importance of the project (20:37)
-How they involved stakeholders (26:17)
-What their remote onboarding process looks like (27:42)
-Lee’s strategy for getting to know his team and their capabilities (29:39)
-What relocation looks like in a pandemic (31:38)
-How this experience will change how they hire in the future (35:14)
-Sara’s timely advice for talent acquisition leaders (36:11)

Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.

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