Hiring in 2021 will Include Beneficial Workplace Changes

By Alexis Stiebe

Due to stay-at-home orders and online schooling, the workplace took some interesting turns in 2020. These challenges not only affected our own office but also changed the hiring landscape. The recruiters at Ag 1 Source took on many new challenges this year and learned that challenges are an opportunity. We are hoping to discard the frustrations of 2020 and carry those opportunities into the new year. Video interviews and remote work are the most impactful of those new ways of working.

Video Interviews

We’ve seen interviews happening faster. This is great for the employer, candidate, and recruiter. Video interviews have provided flexibility that an in-person interview cannot. We expect the video interview trend to continue far after the pandemic is over.

According to Linkedin Insights:*

  • “81% of talent professionals agree virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID”
  • “70% of talent professionals say virtual recruiting will become the new standard”

This data comes as no surprise to our recruiters who have been coordinating video interviews between employers and top professionals for months. The ability to arrange an interview without the need for travel time and getting all the decision makers in the same room is an incredible benefit. Especially for national companies, interviewing an executive candidate that may live several states away is a much more efficient process with video interviews.

Remote Workplace

Those national companies have benefited from the other great revolution in the 2020 workplace, remote work. Companies have been experimenting with remote work options for several years now. The unfortunate circumstances of this year gave employers the final push needed to make widespread remote work a reality.

And it looks like remote work is here to stay. Research shows that:**

  • 25% of employees would quit if required to return to the office too soon.
  • 82% think virtual platforms are as effective as in-person meetings

It’s clear that there are many benefits both when hiring and when trying to retain your workforce. The flexible schedules that remote work allows have been a boon. Half of our company was working remote before the pandemic and allowing flexibility around family schedules has always been a big part of our company culture. When schools when online, parents found the flexibility that working remote provides to be invaluable.

Going into 2021, we know that video interviews are a great option for national companies and gives them a chance to expand their available candidate pool. Remote work does this as well. Companies can hire the best talent no matter where they currently live. This is talent that would normally have to reject an offer because they are unwilling to uproot their family and move. We will continue to utilize these lessons in 2021 and help companies place executive-level talent. Contact us to start your executive search today.

Sources:
* https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/future-of-recruiting/2020/future-of-recruiting
** https://www.reworked.co/digital-workplace/6-workplace-lessons-from-6-months-of-covid-19/