March 17, 2021 By Sarah Hamaker ALEXANDRIA, Va.—What’s one of the biggest challenges facing retailers today? Connecting with candidates for open job positions. “Recruiting is a No. 1 concern among retailers,” said Bianca LaFountain, talent acquisition manager at GPM Investments LLC, during last week’s virtual NACS Human Resources Forum workshop “Taking Recruiting Virtual.” LaFountain shared insights into how GPM transitioned to recruiting via virtual platforms during the pandemic—a move the company plans to keep in the future. Like many companies, COVID-19 pushed GPM into virtual hiring. “We had an opportunity to do a free, virtual event,” she told attendees. “That event was very successful.” The company interviewed 256 candidates and hired 152 during the six-hour virtual hiring event.