Most CEOs have embraced remote hiring, but in-person is missed

By Herald staff

December 31, 2020 6:00 AM

My organization is totally remote, we have not missed a beat and I have found that as a company we are more efficient and productive.

Dexter Bridgeman, CEO, founder, M•I•A Media Group

Our office has been successful in hiring and recruiting new members – from lateral partners to support staff – on a remote basis since the onset of COVID-19. Given that we typically have partners from our other offices interview new associates and partners, I expect we will continue using virtual platforms to accomplish the same and save on travel costs.

Luis Flores, managing partner, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr’s Miami office

We have been conducting our screening and interviews via Zoom since April. We have done pre-employment work remotely as well. This has worked well for our hiring over the last nine months. Some of this process may continue remotely beyond COVID-19.

Veronica Flores, executive vice president, First National Bank of South Miami

Because of the diverse nature of our business, we have staff members who work remotely in addition to our core staff at our corporate office in South Florida. We have researchers we fund who work in the field, or in the ocean, as it were. We also have team members who work remotely and are also involved in various aspects of research, for our new educational initiatives, in new business development and in other partnership programs. That will continue, but once it is safe to do so, we will also get back to coming together in person for meetings.

Guy Harvey, founder, Guy Harvey Enterprises

There is a person-to-person quality to fundraising that makes remote working not ideal for our industry. I find that teams can coordinate effectively with a virtual format, but that reaching, attracting and retaining new stakeholders in philanthropy still relies on a trust that is difficult, if not impossible, to develop on-line. Just as there are professions that will never be replaced by computers and machines, there are also industries that will not easily or effectively fit into a computerized virtual reality.

David Jobin, president, CEO of Our Fund Foundation

We have become experts on Zoom, which has enabled us to be more efficient and productive for meetings. We have been hiring new associates through Zoom and on-boarding them online.

Mike Pappas, president, CEO, The Keyes Company/Illustrated Properties

As a growing organization, we are always hiring top talent in order to exceed our members’ expectations in service, products and technology. That did not diminish during this pandemic, which necessitated remote hiring, on-boarding and training. We had been training remotely well before the onset of the pandemic, to manage travel expense and staffing impacts. The hiring and on-boarding aspects were new and mandated when stay-at-home orders were implemented. Fortunately, we had the remote training technology infrastructure in place that allowed a fairly seamless transition. With our excellent audio/video conferencing capabilities we were able to conduct individual and panel interviews, and utilize remote signature applications to complete on-boarding deliveries. This practice will now likely remain in place going forward for the efficiencies it affords us.

Allan Prindle, president, CEO, Power Financial Credit Union

Remote hiring is exciting! Not only does it open up a more robust pool of talent to our organization, but it also contributes to expanding national employment opportunities for underemployed and unemployed women and people of color economically displaced by the pandemic. At YWCA South Florida, we are focused on making sure this wave of opportunity does not blow over communities of color, like it has many times before, by providing access to WiFi, digital skills courses, career growth training and more.

Kerry-Ann Royes, CEO, YWCA South Florida

We have not hired anyone remotely.

Mindy Solomon, owner, director, Mindy Solomon Gallery

The shift toward hiring remotely is currently only by necessity and I believe we will go back to hiring and working in-person as soon as possible.

Frank Steslow, president, CEO, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

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THE MIAMI HERALD CEO ROUNDTABLE IS A WEEKLY FEATURE THAT APPEARED IN BUSINESS MONDAY OF THE MIAMI HERALD. QUESTIONS POSED TO THE ROUNDTABLE INCLUDED:

Some CEO’s make plans to return staff to the office

CEOs ponder the good and bad of another possible lockdown in South Florida

CEOs predict remote technology won’t disappear post-COVID-19

CEOs provide flexible schedules, and sometimes more, for staff

Time for a vacation? Many CEOs have managed to take some time off amid pandemic

Some CEOS worry about price increases at the grocery store

 In work-from-home era, some CEOs miss seeing their staff in person

Some South Florida CEOs say they’re still hiring

After schools’ cyberattack, CEOs review their firms’ cyber protection

Returning to the office? CEOs eyeing the trends

Zoom, cute kids and pets make an impact on remote working

CEOs see some good news and bad for the rest of 2020