Remote Work, Candidate Pools and Attrition

Flashback to early 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic. Organizations rushed to adapt to a world that changed seemingly overnight. At first, it was a steep learning curve for everyone. Traditionally held face-to-face meetings took place over Zoom and nearly all travel, even into the office, was put on hold. In some industries, it hampered productivity and even eliminated jobs. The already challenging responsibility of management became even more difficult at a distance. As time went on, office culture settled into a new rhythm and the workforce saw some positives from this change. 

But what did we learn from it? How can we create a better environment moving forward? And, what does it mean for those looking for new opportunities?

These are questions that I have become familiar with. In the past four years, I have had the unique perspective of working in several organizations, in varying situations and being a job-seeker myself. From what I have observed, here are the take-aways for life after the pandemic.

Hybrid Adoption

When the pandemic began, and for the majority of its time frame, I was an embedded talent development professional in the advancement office of a large university. From furloughing staff to a hiring freeze, it was a trying time. Staff morale was tested. With personal stressors included, it showed the resiliency of the employees to continue to perform well. When looking at bringing staff back into the office nearly two years later, we found that they had adapted to this new situation and a majority enjoyed the better balance it brought to their lives. The answer was implementing a hybrid option to meet the needs of a variety of jobs and employees. The success of this program was largely due to creating a framework and the skills of managers of all levels. Creating this trust with the employee directly improved productivity and lowered attrition. 

Recruiting, Part 1

Though not as relevant to the majority of areas of development, my year working for a biotech company added to my knowledge of, and advice on, how to approach an office containing an extreme variety of jobs. With fully remote, hybrid and completely on-site all residing in an office of around 100, a one-size-fits-all approach certainly wasn’t possible. However, through recruiting more than 20 positions for that company in the post-pandemic world, I saw a consistent trend: flexibility brought better candidates. For the roles where it was possible, I was almost always asked if there was the possibility of a hybrid option. Very frequently, the availability of this was more important to a candidate than salary. Although obviously more difficult to manage in this type of office, I can truthfully say that it allowed for more qualified hires and less attrition. 

The Job-Seeker

After an abrupt closing of the biotech company, I found myself looking for a job for the first time in more than 10 years. As a job-seeker, I learned a lot. The first is to reflect and be clear about the type of work environment that is best for you. For some, the in-person connection with colleagues each day is needed. For others, a flexible or even fully remote position might suit them best. However, it is important to understand that the pool of jobs is directly impacted by this choice. Ranking your priorities for a new job can help clarify which opportunities are your best match. I also found that speaking with as many contacts about my search and learning about the options provided me with the information I needed to make a decision I felt good about. 

Recruiting, Part 2

Since joining Bryant Group, I have been fortunate to participate in a variety of searches, some onsite and some with a hybrid or remote option. Without a doubt, those with a fully or mostly remote option attract exponentially more candidates. With a deeper pool, we are able to find closer matches to the ideal candidate, resulting in a stronger and larger selection of options for the client. When working with roles that require the employee to live in a specific area, location becomes one of, if not the most important, pieces. Though fully remote does not work for a significant amount of roles, it is clearly a deciding factor in a search. Still valuable is the option of a role in a hybrid model. As many organizations have shifted this direction, it is a question I get from nearly every candidate and is seen as a strong benefit of the role where it is possible. My best advice to our clients is to recognize that this flexibility will directly impact the amount and depth of candidates for the role and allow this to help shape expectations.

Several years post-COVID, the workforce has settled into the reality that remote and hybrid roles are here to stay. An adjustment in mindset, particularly in the world of higher education, has brought numerous benefits. From an internal perspective, that of a job-seeker and currently as a recruiter, it is clear that organizations that capitalize on this are thriving.