The COVID-19 pandemic of yesteryear impacted nearly every facet of society, pushing the medical system to its limits, changing how humans interact with one another (especially strangers!) and forcing us to rethink our routine working environments. Though the virus may be gone, many of the alterations it made to our social fabric, for better or for worse, remain.
One of these shifts came in the form of working from home. Of course, businesses were forced to shutter their doors at the height of the pandemic to slow the spread of the virus. It was not without consequence, however. Post pandemic, more than 59% of workers believe their jobs can be done from the comfort of their own home. For businesses that are determined to return to the office, recruiters must look at how to acquire in-person talent in an increasingly remote world.
Why It Matters
Workers are quick to riff about the advantages of working from home – and it surely has its perks. Between eliminating commute time and saving employees from having to purchase lunch, remote workers are excited for the economic benefits ingrained in the process. Business executives, however, have legitimate reasons for wanting employees to return to the office.
Research into the effects of businesses operating remotely demonstrates a strain on collaboration and evidence suggests that information sharing and synchronous communication declined. Additionally, some CEOs have touted the uniquely shared purpose felt by employees working in the same space together. The lack of that togetherness can negatively impact a company’s culture, which could eventually hinder its ability to retain talent.
Sell, Sell, Sell
Working from home, however, has also been thought to increase burnout as work and home lives begin to blend. As many as 40% of employees work longer hours from home as opposed to when they are in the workplace. On average, they are clocking nearly an hour more than their in-office counterparts. Executives wanting their employees to return to the office are also keen to highlight how environments can affect an employee’s productivity. Office settings can actually jump start productivity as opposed to home settings that our brains can perceive as a calmer space.
As organizations push for a return to the office, recruiters must prepare to equally target in-office and remote candidates. With at least 54% of workers saying they prefer to work at least partially from home, recruiters may find themselves picking from a smaller applicant pool if their offices are committed to being 100% in-person. Opening applications to hybrid workers who can spend a few days per week or month is more likely to expand your talent pool. If that is not an option, make sure to clearly include – near the top of the job listing – that this role is only available in-person. This will ward off remote-workers and save your recruitment time weeding them out manually.
When hybrid work is not an option, however, recruiters must embrace the positives that in-person work uniquely provides in their pitch to applicants. Consider including a section in the job listing that shares a look into your office’s culture. In-person employment is uniquely positioned to offer teams the ability to meet together throughout the day and partake in exciting office activities, such as networking lunches and happy hours that get employees out of the office earlier.
Candidates Want Growth and Transparency
Eighty-two percent of employees and 62% of human resource directors believe that upskilling and reskilling are key components of employee retention and talent acquisition. Candidates want to know that they will have the opportunity to build off of existing skills, as well as develop new ones under their company’s leadership. This feeds into the notion of upward mobility that many applicants are after. In-person companies are uniquely positioned to capitalize on a culture that promotes office face time. With many believing that there is a ceiling for the amount of recognition hybrid workers receive, advertising the notion that hard work gets noticed will resonate with candidates looking to grow in their field. Talent recruiters must capitalize on a company’s commitment to growing and retaining its talent in order to attract new employees.
Networking is another key component to the career growth employers are demanding out of their next job, and this is where in-office jobs can shine. Discussing the ability to work cross functionally with different teams will give applicants a look into how they might hope to grow in the company. If a candidate enjoys working within a different department, they can have the opportunity to network themselves into that role and learn new skills along the way. Recruiters should also emphasize an office culture that rewards the hard work it sees day in and day out.
Key Takeaways
There are as many perks to working in-person as there can be from home. Recruiters must be ready to share the unique experiences candidates can hope to have on their team, especially as this year’s layoffs left employees rattled, leaving some with a sense of mistrust. What every worker seeks now is transparency from their companies. This is established with open lines of communication. For example, share reporting structures with prospective candidates or consider offering new staffers lunches with executives and partners as a way to close the gap between the bullpen and C Suite staff.
Candidates that report having a positive experience through the interview process often have a better impression and experience of their companies overall. A talent acquisition team member is more likely than not the first face a future employee meets at a business and they have the potential to create loyal and lasting relationships.
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What does that mean?
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