How Has Remote Working Impacted Talent Acquisition?

April 13, 2023

Three years ago, the majority of company leaders thought remote working arrangements were just a niche trend. But the rapid rise and benefits of this work-from-home model have cemented its place in the modern world. In fact, 58% of businesses returning to the office are encouraging hybrid arrangements, according to a study from Omedia. While some leaders are stuck in the past, rigidly mandating that employees come back to the office, it’s clear that the future of work will be flexible.

But what does this mean for your talent acquisition teams who must adapt to an ever-changing labor market? Let’s take a look at some of the challenges you could face and the advantages that a remote strategy can bring to your business.

The Challenges of Remote Working Models

While the rapid shift to remote work a few years ago solidified its place in the modern workplace, many organizations embracing this model struggle to develop an effective talent acquisition strategy around work-from-home arrangements. Due to their popularity among job seekers, remote positions often generate a large volume of applications that can be difficult to search through.

Outside of the initial recruitment and screening process, remote models present a number of challenges to talent acquisition teams. For instance, when employees work in different time zones, it can create scheduling difficulties. Virtual work can also lead to technical difficulties that slow down your operations. In addition, a blended workforce of remote, hybrid, and in-office employees can create inequitable disparities around pay and benefits.

While these issues are avoidable with proper planning and strategizing, they can complicate the talent acquisition process. However, many recruiters find that the benefits outweigh the pitfalls.

What Remote Working Models Can Offer Recruiters

Three years after the meteoric rise of remote work, countless organizations are questioning whether they should make the back-to-office transition and what that would even look like. From the employee’s perspective, it’s easy to see why working from home is preferred, but many employers remain unconvinced.

Whether you’re still on the fence or you’re trying to champion flexible arrangements in your workplace, here are three key benefits that remote models can offer talent acquisition professionals:

1. Expand Your Geographic Search

Recruiting remote employees enables you to expand your geographic search as far as you’d like it to go, be it in the same time zone or halfway across the world. With so many countries and cities to source from, your talent pool grows immensely, potentially yielding top candidates you’d otherwise have no way of discovering. Not only does this mean you have a greater selection of talent, but it also provides candidates from diverse areas and backgrounds. With the right remote acquisition strategy, you can find people that bring valuable new perspectives and ideas to your company.

2. Attract More Candidates

If you’d like to offer remote working arrangements but still want to keep employees in the same time zones, you won’t be missing out. Just by adding a work-from-home option, you’ll have job seekers virtually lining up for the opportunity. According to a 2020 Slack survey, 72% of respondents preferred hybrid or remote working models; yet, a McKinsey study found that only 35% of employees have the option. That means that remote positions can not only attract more active candidates, but it also has the potential to sway passive candidates looking for more flexibility.

3. Increase Employee Retention

In addition to growing a stronger candidate pool, offering remote or hybrid arrangements can also boost employee retention. While working from home can come with downsides for employees, such as isolation and issues with work-life balance, Tracking Happiness found that remote employees are 20% happier than those who work on-premise. Furthermore, the National Bureau of Economic Research reports that hybrid arrangements can reduce quit rates by up to 35%. At the end of the day, the willingness to work with employees on a flexible model is crucial to keeping them satisfied and retaining your workforce.

Enhance Your Remote Recruitment Strategy With Envision

Are you looking for help planning your remote recruitment strategy? Envision has the experts you need to design, implement and maintain an effective talent acquisition pipeline that delivers top remote candidates for your most critical positions.

Contact us today to find out more about what Envision can do for your recruitment process.