How Remote and Hybrid Work Impacts Hiring
Companies today find themselves at a crossroads regarding their approach to remote and hybrid work. Our own clients have many different attitudes toward offering remote work, depending on their industries, company cultures, and personal preferences.
Do companies have to offer remote or hybrid work in order to attract top talent? We set out to answer that question in this article. As it turns out, we don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer, but we can walk through some of the benefits of offering remote and hybrid work from a recruiter’s perspective, as well as some alternatives if remote jobs aren’t possible at your company.
Your attitude toward remote work might depend on your industry.
We work with clients in a vast array of industries. In some, like manufacturing, construction, or healthcare, it makes sense that positions need to be on-site. Some jobs simply cannot be done remotely. We’ve also found that certain industries are more likely to have traditional attitudes toward being in office, like law and finance. While others, like sales and marketing, that already depend heavily on digital communication, are likely to be open to remote or hybrid roles. (These, of course, are just generalizations.)
Regardless of your industry, the decision to offer remote or hybrid positions isn’t just a personal preference, it’s a strategic decision. Labeling a position as remote or hybrid will have implications in your talent search. It’s important that leaders understand those implications before they start the hiring process:
How does offering remote or hybrid work benefit the hiring process?
Larger talent pool:
You can’t get around it. Offering remote and hybrid work allows your company access to a larger number of qualified candidates. That’s for a number of reasons, including the fact that fully remote jobs can help you overcome geographical barriers. This is especially a consideration for those companies in rural locations, who already have access to fewer local candidates.
Second is the fact that some candidates simply won’t consider a role that does not offer hybrid or remote work. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights the extent to which offering even one day a week of hybrid work can impact staffing and access to talent.
Faster fill time:
Access to a higher number of qualified candidates typically means that it won’t take as long to find the right person to hire. That doesn’t mean you can’t fill a role that’s 100% in-office with great talent. You can! You just might have to be more patient in your search.
Access to diversity:
A remote job may open you up to a more diverse pool of talent. The benefits of diversity are endless. It leads to innovation, fresh perspectives, and a wider range of skills that might not be readily available in a single location.
Talent retention:
Providing flexibility in work arrangements can foster loyalty and longevity among employees. Talented individuals are more likely to stay with a company that values their well-being and offers work flexibility.
As we note in the next section, there are many ways to offer flexibility beyond remote or hybrid work. If a role needs to be on site, it’s important to consider other ways to be flexible.
What to consider if remote or hybrid positions don’t work for you
We work with many clients who are hiring for on-site or in-office positions. Some companies are offering roles that would be impossible to do remotely, while others simply prefer to keep their work in the office. Regardless, we’re able to find great talent to fill those crucial roles, but we do encourage clients to make a few considerations in order to attract a strong talent pool:
Accommodate Employees’ Personal Schedules and Work/Life Balance:
Remote work may not be an option, but many companies are becoming more accommodating to workers’ personal schedules. Parents and caregivers may ask to adjust their schedules so they can take kids to school or appointments. Workers may not want to take a vacation day to go to the dentist or doctor. And some simply may like to take a break during the day to exercise or run an errand. Everyone has a life outside of work, and employers who value their employees time and autonomy tend to attract and retain better candidates.
Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits:
Candidates in today’s job market value flexibility so highly that they often place it next to compensation as a priority. If you don’t offer remote or hybrid work, you’ll likely need to put together a competitive compensation and benefits package to attract experienced candidates. Consider your protocols regarding paid vacation, parental leave, and other time off as high priorities.
Be Patient:
In our experience, it might take a bit longer to fill a non-hybrid role in the current market. Unemployment is at an all-time low, the turbulence of the great resignation is declining, and candidates may be less likely to make a change in the midst of economic uncertainty. (These issues factor into remote roles, too!) The good news is that talent is out there! You just need the right recruiting team (cough cough) to know how to find them.
Ready to hire with Risch Results?
Let’s talk! We specialize in finding talent for hard-to-fill positions. Contact us to learn more about our retained and fractional recruiting services.