The pandemic has had far-reaching effects on nearly every aspect of personal and professional life, including the hiring process. While previous job titles, degrees earned and schools attended have long been accompanied by a certain cachet – and they’re still important – employers are now laser-focused on finding candidates who will be flexible in the face of changing circumstances and organizational goals, agile in keeping up with advancing technology and overly communicative while collaborating with the team.

Sounds like a big ask, but this is how firms are positioning themselves to survive and grow despite the pandemic. So, if you’re looking for a new position this year, here’s what you need to know.

Think beyond your immediate area.
One of the benefits of remote work is fewer geographical limitations for open jobs. At many firms, HR managers will be looking beyond their immediate physical area to widen the net. You might be in Boston, but if you see a job posting by a Chicago company that piques your interest and remote work is an option, throw your hat in the ring.

“Now when I look for candidates, I can post to my national and international networks and reach out for referrals,” says Ryan Moor, CEO of Ryonet (asi/528500). “It gives us access to some amazing opportunities. I can’t tell you how many potentially awesome people we never hired because they lived across the country and couldn’t move.”

Charles Doligé, a partner at LR Paris (asi/246857), says being able to hire across time zones will help the company achieve a major goal: opening additional offices to tap into new markets. For now, the company is headquartered in New York City, while Doligé is based in Washington, D.C. “It’s now a larger playground,” he says. “Our goal is to be in multiple states eventually.”

Doligé says that as much as he relied on personal recommendations and word-of-mouth to find new candidates, that practice will accelerate in 2021 and beyond as people are hired and begin their jobs remotely.

“We’d receive a resume and then a list of references, usually their friends,” he says. “But if we know and trust the person recommending them, there’s more of a chance of success than if it’s random. I ask myself, ‘Who do I know who knows someone?’ I trust their judgment.”

Feature your “soft skills.”
With remote work continuing into 2021, and some firms even making it permanent, employers will look to bring on new hires who work well in that space. As a result, they’ll focus on soft skills, such as communication, flexibility, teamwork and adaptability, over hard skills like a specific degree or language proficiency.

“HR managers will consider soft skills of paramount importance,” says Pete Sosnowski, vice president at career site Zety. “Teamwork and communication will be crucial to navigate the complexities of human interaction in remote environments.”

One interview query to expect, says digital marketing expert Miles Beckler, is this: “Give me an example of a time you worked well in a team.” Potential employers want to find out if the person in front of them (most likely over a laptop screen) works well with others, particularly during remote work.

“When working remotely, you need solid communication and collaboration,” says Beckler. “With this question, the hiring manager seeks to determine the importance you place on these attributes. Your example should be specific about your role and impact on the outcome.”

Beckler adds that hiring managers are also sure to ask for examples from candidates that demonstrate his or her ability to work under pressure and adaptability to fast-changing situations.

“Employees have had to go through accelerated change and development,” he says. “The hiring manager is looking to root out those who can’t thrive in such an environment. Applicants should cite specific examples and exemplify the value they’ve added to previous workplaces.”

Come with creative ideas.
Candidates can further stand out from the competition by researching the company, its operations and recent challenges due to the pandemic, and coming to the interview prepared with creative solutions.

“More than ever, corporations are open about their pain points and pressures,” says Pablo Listingart, an HR expert and founder of nonprofit ComIT, which offers free career training. “New hires have the unique opportunity to make an early impact at a company. Their understanding of the economic situation that their industry faces is almost certainly going to be an interview question, and it’s a chance to set themselves apart.”

Listingart recommends that candidates bring ideas for next steps in an area directly related to the job for which they’re applying. “Those who come ready with a nuanced understanding of the pressures of the moment will be highly favored,” he says.

One of Doligé’s brand-new hires is already making significant contributions to the company’s growth. That’s what he hopes for with every person.

“We want new hires to contribute to our growth from day one, to be part of the family,” he says. “Whatever we can improve on, let’s do it. That entrepreneurial attitude has to come from everyone, at every level of the company, or it won’t work. We don’t have the luxury to babysit.”

Demonstrate your tech know-how.
When workers hunkered down in their home offices last March, tech-savviness quickly became a non-negotiable. Managers and IT helpdesks don’t have the time to handhold as they continue to manage the remote environment and keep it as productive as possible.

“Tech proficiency implies independence,” says Mark Hayes, head of marketing at Kintell, where users can identify and book one-on-one advisory sessions with experts in a wide range of fields, from entrepreneurship to health and wellness. “If they’re not adaptable enough to learn how to use new tech, it poses a considerable detriment to their productivity. Candidates should stress their skillset and prove themselves capable, and leave no room for doubt in the mind of the hiring manager.”

As part of the screening process, Doligé asks candidates to navigate through their company operations platform. “We see how they handle our system,” he says. “We can tell quickly if they’re a good fit.”

Be authentic with personal questions.
Just as employers are transparent about their pandemic challenges, candidates too are sure to be asked about their experience: how it’s changed them, what they’ve learned about themselves or how they used the time wisely for personal development. Hiring managers want thoughtful, honest answers, not superficiality.

“We look deeper into their personality by seeing how they’ll respond,” says Willie Greer, founder of The Product Analyst, an audio system review service. “What makes a candidate stand out is their authenticity when answering. You can immediately determine the first layer of their personality, especially when you start asking things that aren’t work-related.”

Greer adds that hiring managers aren’t interested in canned answers, which don’t help the candidate stand out from the competition. And right now, in this employers’ hiring market, that’s more important than ever.

“The key to standing out is to be authentic,” says Greer. “It’s what makes you unique.”