Global TA Day: Evaluating The New Rules Of Hiring For Remote And Hybrid Workforces

The structure of the global workforce was forcibly reshaped when Covid-19 hit

On Global Talent Acquisition Day, we celebrate all of those talent professionals who are making sizable impact on businesses and individuals they serve. We may be once again commemorating Global Talent Acquisition Day in the face of a pandemic, but in my view, it’s only grown in importance because talent leaders across the world have been tested with a litany of challenges related to their businesses, processes and workforces – and they’ve persevered.

 

This day is a worthy occasion to honor those in the profession, and reflect on the fact that talent leaders have shared experiences that transcend roles and borders. Whether you’re a recruiter, hiring manager, staffer or sourcer, and whether you’re based in India, Kenya, the U.S. or Spain, the pandemic has forced you to rewrite your rulebook, devise new approaches to recruitment and take into account shifts in a workforce that may never return to “normal.”

Suffice to say that the structure of the global workforce was forcibly reshaped when Covid-19 hit. Suddenly, small entities up to corporate giants had to move at warp speed to transition to a primarily work-from-home model. Talent acquisition leaders had to scramble to adapt their recruiting and hiring practices for a largely remote workforce.

Now, as some offices see people trickling back in, we’re seeing more of a blend between remote and hybrid workforces – and most talent leaders expect that to remain the case into the foreseeable future. In our recently published Findem 2021 Recruitment Trends Study, we found that 34% currently have workforces that are fully remote, although just 6% anticipate that to be the case next year. Most seemingly envision a more hybrid model.    

With the future of work expected to be remote or hybrid for a large number of global companies, what does that mean for talent acquisition teams that are facing some of the stiffest competition they’ve ever seen, and who are largely responsible for helping to sculpt the future of their organizations?

Employees have left their jobs in droves as part of what’s been coined The Great Resignation – most awakened to a life with no commutes, more work-life balance and less stress. On the flip side, the global economy is strong, there’s a dire need for qualified workers and location is no longer a mitigating factor, so job searchers are in the driver’s seat these days.

With people not actively searching for jobs like they once were, talent leaders are relying heavily on passive recruiting, which is exponentially more difficult than active recruiting. We saw this bear out in our recruitment study, with 74% of respondents indicating that they’ve increased their outreach to passive candidates in the last year.

In situations like these, employee referrals can be paramount in turning up qualified talent both efficiently and effectively. Get generous and creative when it comes to incentivizing your current employees to refer friends or colleagues with whom they’ve worked with in different states or countries. For anyone who refers three people who get hired, offer attention-getting awards such as $5,000 in cash, an ultimate staycation or a contribution to their child’s college fund. These types of bonuses will drive quality referrals. Also consider staging referral events where employees invite their contacts who can get familiar with the position, team and culture.  

Stateside, a labor law went into effect in Colorado earlier this year that requires all companies in the state to specify salary details in job postings. The law’s aim is to help close gender and racial pay gaps by giving applicants the wage transparency needed to have an equitable footing in salary discussions. However, it instead led many employers outside of the state to exclude Colorado candidates from applying for their remote positions – a blatant disregard of the law.
 
While this is currently isolated to Colorado, there’s the potential for employers in other states and countries to follow suit and pass similar measures around pay transparency. In fact, in June, both Connecticut and Rhode Island enacted laws requiring companies to disclose wage-range information to employees and applicants. New York also has a salary range transparency bill on the table.
 
The legal ramifications, not to mention the impact on talent teams, could be quite immense. In the coming months, talent leaders, regardless of location, should be paying close attention to these laws or similar proposals that may be in discussion. It’s also a good time to start discussions with executive team members about approaching pay transparency.

One of the upsides of the shift to remote and hybrid hiring is that, by and large, talent acquisition teams have no geographical bounds when it comes to a candidate’s location, which opens up lots of doors of opportunity and diversity, plus greatly increases size and scope of the talent pool.

Now, with the ability to hire anyone who lives anywhere, the focus can be on the candidate’s attributes, accomplishments and skill set, and not where they live and if they're willing to relocate. Organizations in major cities can hire talent from underrepresented groups who may live in places outside of where their company offices are located. Those in smaller cities can now access talent with deeper experience, broadened skillsets and eclectic backgrounds – all factors shown to breed business success.

Talent acquisition leaders should be liberal in broadening their geographic hiring range. Instead of just expanding nationally, now is a good time to look at worthy candidates from across the globe, particularly since most people have mastered the art of remote work. Imagine how deep of a talent pool you could be searching if you add a few countries to the mix. Pushing the boundaries will not only enable you to meet your hiring goals, but also to find the best of the best to propel your organization forward.

The world may be changing, and the nature of your country’s workforce along with it, but remaining agile, aware and committed to unearthing the best talent possible will be keys to your continued success. And who doesn’t like a tall challenge or two? Here’s to celebrating all talent professionals on Global Talent Acquisition Day 2021!