The suspense that was building up around the idea of going back to the offices and redefining our everyday working arrangements has finally reached its end as soon as some tech giants announced their model of work for the future. Ever since the CEO from Google released a statement that the company is about to create a hybrid workplace for its employees, it seems as though others started following their example.
Suddenly, the term hybrid workplace environment has taken over the word of HR and management. Google announced that their employees wouldn't be coming back to the office entirely, but only for a couple of days a week in a space wholly redesigned for rearrangements to benefit better collaboration. This news made other giants and even smaller companies rethink the idea of going back to the office and instead navigate through the inevitable change by creating hybrid workplace environments.
However, such drastic changes that combine office hours with remote work in different shapes and forms for each employee can lead to some negative backlash if not planned and appropriately strategized. Since the employee's roles and responsibilities remained the same but in a different setting, the question that pops up in each recruiter's mind is: "How do I hire a perfect fit for a working environment that is completely different from anything we've known so far?"
For that reason, this article will help you to develop your hiring strategy for a hybrid workplace!
The first thing you should consider when creating a hiring strategy for a new working environment is clearly defining your hybrid work expectation. Since the term refers to endless ways of building a flexible working environment, it is still imperative to create concrete and consistent guidelines. Remember, only structured flexibility will get you somewhere!
For example, if you have some employees whose physical presence at the company is essential for the quality of their work, the possibilities for flexibility for them should be limited. At least in the beginning! Let's say you are hiring for an entry-level position. This person would benefit from being at the office most of the time by learning from everyone around them. As time goes by, this person can also switch to their hybrid model.
Think about recruiting your existing employees! Having an employee working for the company for a certain period has numerous benefits for the organization. This team member already has extensive knowledge about the product, how things work at the organization, the direction that it's taking, and also the dynamics in different teams.
If they show any interest in switching to a different position or a desire for a promotion to a higher-level position, you should consider it. Especially in remote or semi-remote teams, it can be challenging to grasp how things work at the company and team leveL. Therefore, having someone already familiar with everything can be highly beneficial to a company's success.
Connecting with talent can be difficult when you think about it in remote or hybrid workplaces. The practice of hiring remotely with the help of digital assessment tools or video interviews has become a new standard due to the covid-19 pandemic.
However, entirely shifting your hiring strategy to become remote and having a long-term hiring practice based on video interviews and digital assessments might need a little more strategic approach and some additional help to be successful.
Here are some of the things you should take into consideration when hiring remotely:
By implementing a recruitment software solution, you will become faster and more organized in your hiring. Since you are probably working from home yourself, it is essential that you have the ability to organize your candidate database, digitally collaborate with your colleagues by leaving notes and comments about candidates and have a planned email communication with the candidates. This way you can create relationships with your candidates without ever leaving anyone out.
Now, more than ever, you should create consistent communication flows with the candidates in order to build strong long lasting relationships and increase candidate experience. Since there is less possibility of meeting in person and creating such connection with potential future colleagues, create different talent pools for candidates in different stages and maintain a regular communication with them.
One of the great things about creating a hybrid workplace environment is that you can recruit talent from all over the world while staying at your home office. In such circumstances, hiring a more diverse and skilled talent becomes more achievable if you focus your efforts in the right place.
Therefore, attending virtual job fairs gives you the opportunity to connect with various talents, explore the job market and create relationships for the future. Similarly, social media sourcing opens your door to a large pool of talent and general job market trends.
Ultimately, hiring for a hybrid workplace gives recruiters the ability to increase diversity among their teams and gain talent with specific skillset without being limited to their geographical location.
Jeff Hunter, the CEO of virtual assistant company VA Staffer, gave a couple of valuable advices:
Don’t just recruit people who are searching for a job — recruit people who showcased success in a vertical skillset (one that is very close to what you want them to do).
Perform interviews with assessments from which you can make conclusions about their practical ability to do the job
In a hybrid workplace performance is more important than hours spent working. People will find their own tempo, but make sure to hire staff that will give great results.
Potentially, adjust the role so that it combines candidates' own career goals with overall company goals.
Even though we’ve spent the last year and a half working from home, and by now, most of us believe that we are capable of adjusting to almost anything, a hybrid workplace environment will still represent a novelty in the way we do business. Everyone will need an adjustment - from CEOs to managers and all employees. Job candidates will be no different.
For that reason, start building a strong employer brand around your working environment. Try to portray exactly how the work day looks like now at your organization. Tell stories about your employees and the ways they are navigating through the change and what changed for them after adopting the hybrid workplace mindset. It is extremely important that prior to joining the company, candidates have a clear understanding of what it really means to be working in a hybrid environment in your company so that you can make sure to align their personal values with your company values.
There is no doubt that remote work and hybrid work are here to stay for much longer than we originally planned. And just like the word ‘hybrid’ itself implies a variety of different possibilities, we can only wait and see what the future holds. But one thing is clear, actively participating in those changes will help your organization adjust faster and stand out among the competition. Whether it’s managing the workplace or adjusting your recruitment practices, they all need to adapt to the organizations of tomorrow.
If you you ready to start hiring for your organization of tomorrow with the help of TalentLyft, click here and start our free trial!
