Talent acquisition has always been an area where organizations invest a lot of time and effort. Having an effective talent acquisition strategy helps you hire employees who are the best fit for the company and ensure that they stay for a long time. With the large-scale shift towards remote work, many organizations are looking to change their strategies, but what are the best practices for remote talent acquisition?
Flexibility is the key when seeking talent
Many organizations see benefits and perks as important for attracting and retaining candidates. While health, dental, and paid time off tend to be expected benefits, a lot of attention is now being given to improving work–life balance, with the spotlight on flexibility in the new workplace model.
Leaders need to understand that candidates have flexibility near the top of their job wish list. A study from ManpowerGroup Solutions showed nearly 40 percent of job seekers said flexibility around their work schedule is one of their top three factors when deciding on a career.
Gone are the punch-clock nine-to-five office days. Workplace flexibility has changed from a perk to a necessity for many job seekers. If organizations want to attract and land top-skilled workers, flexibility is no longer optional. The stereotype that it’s just working mothers seeking such arrangements is long outdated; everyone is interested now—and some are demanding at least partial blending of office and remote work, if not fully remote, if they choose to join an organization.
Understand what employees want
Organizations must consider what current employees want as well. Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to all employees asking most of them to return to the office three days each week. The request didn’t go over well. Workers pushed back in protest, saying over the past year they have “often felt not just unheard, but at times actively ignored.” They want more flexible approach, allowing those who want to work remotely to do so.
A Bloomberg News poll from May 2021 showed 39 percent of employees would consider quitting their job if employers weren’t flexible about remote work. That number soared to 49 percent among Millennial and Gen Z workers. That’s a huge eye-opener.
Also note that flexibility here doesn’t simply mean wanting to work from home. While that is top of mind these days for many potential employees, other areas where flexibility is desirable include start or finish times to the workday, shiftwork, break and lunch times, and caregiving needs.
Returning to the office as we knew it pre-2020 is probably impossible. The only path is forward, even if it’s uncertain. However, organizations can be certain of the growing pressure to be flexible from both current staff and candidates. How do you want to be perceived regarding workplace flexibility? What image do you want to present to potential employees?
Don’t let talent pass you by
Without a willingness to be accommodating, organizations may soon find themselves with diminishing staff and reduced access to an already tight labour market to fill any new positions. Top talent will simply move on to a company willing to be more flexible with their workplace structure.
With so many Canadians still working from home, and many of them likely to request or even demand to stay this route for the foreseeable future, companies can’t afford—literally or figuratively—to ignore this growing trend and must adapt their talent acquisition procedures accordingly.
Want to better understand how you can assure your top talent candidates don’t pass you over for the competition? We’re here to help! Start by reviewing our six-episode animated training series Mastering Remote HR Management. The training videos take you through advanced approaches you can use to modify your talent acquisition practices and ensure you have no gaps or missed opportunities going forward. With HRdownloads’ training membership, you get UNLIMITED access to our entire library of training courses on communication, leadership development, problem-solving, and much more! Contact us today to find the right HR solution and support for you.
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