8 Ways 2020 Impacted Workplaces and Hiring

It’s a huge understatement to say that 2020 made an impact on economies around the world, let alone workplaces and hiring practices. As the concentric circles of crises converged, our personal, local, and global outlooks shifted like never before.

As we all settle in to the “new normal,” the challenge of landing talented tech pros remains high. Our need to adopt future proof talent sourcing, hiring, and retention is greater than ever.

Streamlining the process is still top-of-mind for most CTOs, especially during this perilous time in history. One-size-fits-all recruitment, generic job listings, and backward-looking retention strategies are a thing of the past.

With the harnessing of big data, the cloud, and the surge in video conferencing — yes Zoom, Slack, and Meet are officially verbs — we’ve all entered the #futureofwork.

Let’s take a spin through eight important developments in this updated world of work and talent acquisition.

The arrival of a global talent pool

At the height of the pandemic 50-70% of the US workforce was working remotely. Two-thirds or more say they want to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.

Agile, distributed teams have been a necessary sea change for many big tech companies like Google, Twitter, Microsoft, and Facebook. And their employees say that without a remote option in the future, they’ll be unlikely to stay.

“Remote work tantalizes with its promises of diverse talent pools, increased productivity and retention, and savings on salaries and facilities, not to mention smaller carbon footprint.” — State of Remote Work 2020

Work From Anywhere is now a benefit to both candidates and employers. And in our hyper-connected world, we have access to a global talent pool of top tech candidates.

• In 2020, the use of company video meetings grew 50% more than pre-pandemic
• 77% of employees agree that post-pandemic, a work from home (WFH) option would make them happier
• 75% have been the same or more productive during COVID-19 while WFH

Exploding the traditional Talent Acquisition model

Contactless recruitment and virtual hiring are booming. High tech HR and hybrid workforces have become commonplace for businesses and brands to ensure safety and efficiency.

But companies are also thinking about more than streamlining time-to-hire, they’re thinking about nurturing long-term relationships and building diverse, global, A-list teams.

The employee value proposition (EVP) has become top-of-mind for many recruiters as a holistic approach to building innovative teams. This process starts long before the job listing for most.

By building a culture that resonates with prospective employees you can boost talent sourcing and retention. And it’s one of the top reasons talent will choose to work with you.

93% of employees mention the importance of company culture in their online job reviews. They want to not only feel like your brand is worthy to put on a resume, but also that your mission and values align with their own.

Artificial intelligence vs hiring for soft skills

HR automation tools and the desire to up your business’ digital IQ are trending. But as we’ve discussed the perils of the hiring industrial complex, most of the solutions you’re being sold don’t have results to back them up.

A focus on soft skills and retention is the new, main focus for many businesses thinking beyond simple hiring algorithms. Looking beyond the resume is a tactic smart businesses are employing worldwide.

“… Around 66% of all new jobs will mainly rely on soft skills. Some of such top soft skills are collaboration, problem-solving, and communication.” — 10 Recruitment Trends for 2020/2021

Top 10 Soft Skills in the Future of Work:

• Sense-making
• Novel and Adaptive Thinking
• Social Intelligence
• Trans-disciplinarity
• New Media Literacy
• Computational Thinking
• Cognitive Load Management
• Design Mindset
• Cross-Cultural Competency
• Virtual Collaboration

Source: Institute for the Future & Univ. of Phoenix Research Institute

Fast-forward to upskilling/reskilling current employees

Cross-functional has taken on a whole new meaning in 2021. As many companies seek to do more with less, they’re looking to internally upskill or reskill their current employees.

“Reskilling is defined as training for employees who have shown they have the aptitude for learning a completely new occupation…. Upskilling focuses on providing training for employees who need to learn new skills to improve their current performance without changing their position or career path.” — U.S. Office of Personnel Management

With internal mobility on the rise, look for a recommitment to investing in the most talented team members. Verified and transferable skill sets, adaptability, and resilience are in high demand.

Flexibility and efficiency at the forefront

Without a daily commute, the definitions of a workday and work-life balance have shifted dramatically. But that doesn’t mean we’re getting less done; quite the opposite.

“On average, remote employees worked an extra 26 hours each month during COVID (nearly an extra day every week).” — State of Remote Work 2020

With the latest data about the counterintuitive output of diverse, globally distributed teams, the 9-to-5 model is getting tossed in the trash.

Innovation starts with processes that embrace the flexible schedules and multiple timezones of top talent. And success stories are legion when these models are employed by future-thinking HR teams.

Empathy, diversity, and equity

Actions will speak louder than words in the coming years. With social justice, the pandemic, climate change, and so much uncertainty around the world, your brand is more vulnerable than ever.

Transparency and equity have become tantamount to success. Showing that you understand the day-to-day struggles of your team members — and their communities — will help win the hearts and minds of future candidates.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace will become a real driver of employment decisions. Increasingly, the best talent will look for visible evidence of a company’s commitment to diversity within the interview process, within the hiring team, and within the executive leadership of the company.” — Carin Van Vuuren, CMO at Greenhouse Software

Skills, not country of origin or cultural orientation, define the talent of the future. By broadcasting inclusion and accountability, businesses can embrace and incorporate the next generation of stars.

Mental health awareness and acknowledgment

“It goes without saying that this pandemic coupled with the social and political unrest of this year has exacerbated the stress, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues of workers.” — 5 Ways 2020 Has Impacted Workplaces And How It Will Change In 2021

Mimicking in-office culture in the Matrix of Zoom meetings has become exhausting. As we try to maintain some touchstone of normality, burnout has crept in with the overuse of technology.

“No meeting days” are trending for overall sanity and output. 80% of employees now believe that there should be one day a week with no meetings.

Meditation, yoga, and therapy are being encouraged by C-level executives as a replacement. Flexibility is taking on a whole new meaning in the boardroom and beyond.

Deep pools of talent are the future

At Esteemed we’ve made it our goal to remove the guesswork of staffing digital. We’ve spent the last decade sourcing one of the most talented and diverse communities in tech.

Employers can browse hundreds of talented digital professionals we’ve personally vetted. And we’ve integrated every step of the process into one simple Slack channel.

Esteemed teams work smarter. Make a request and be collaborate with trusted pros almost instantly.

We are some of the brightest digital minds in the business, and we are colleagues recommending colleagues. It’s a win-win.

Let us take some of the burden off of your talent sourcing strategies. Drop us a line today to share your staffing needs!