The majority of businesses now offer hybrid working opportunities for employees, with many opting for multiple forms of flexible working.
The pandemic opened up the opportunity for a lot of employees, many for the first time, to experience remote work with their company.
Now there is not only an increased demand from tech employees, but also an increased expectation for employers to provide flexible working arrangements.
With hybrid working comes a host of changes to the way that tech talent is recruited, however – from the recruitment process to diversity and inclusion efforts, hybrid working is changing the way that talent is recruited.
How is hybrid working impacting tech recruitment?
If Google offers something, it’s usually a strong indication that companies will follow suit.
Back in May 2021, Google announced a hybrid working model for Google employees in several forms, switching to a hybrid work week with three days in-office and two remote working days.
With this change, Google now operates with a mix of working schedules, including those working hybrid work weeks, those who are in the office full time, and those who are working entirely remote.
Hybrid working is no longer seen as an added perk of a job, but instead, something that tech candidates are actively seeking.
Remote salaries have also been rising in tech, with Hired reporting a rise in remote salaries across all markets between 2020 and 2021, showing the impact that rising global competition is having on the hiring market.
As many employers review their current range of benefits and their EVP, it’s essential to consider hybrid working as a top priority.
Linking in with the point above, hybrid working is an element of work/life balance that many tech employees are seeking out.
The Great Resignation has indicated quite clearly that employees want to feel valued and have benefits that align with their desire for a better work/life balance.
Similarly, if tech candidates don’t get the impression that their wellbeing is valued by their employer, they will simply look elsewhere for another option that offers what they are looking for.
Tech companies have ranked highly in the past for work/life balance, according to Glassdoor, specifically owing to their flexibility and hybrid working policies.
Put simply, if an employer trusts tech employees to deliver the work on time regardless of their location and without micromanagement, their employees are more likely to feel valued, respected, and more content.
For tech recruitment, this means that clearly emphasising hybrid working policies as one facet of wider work/life balance benefits is advantageous as it indicates a commitment to employee wellbeing.
There has been moderate progress in tech around diversity and inclusion.
As we’ve discussed in a previous blog post around the impact of hybrid working on diversity in tech, there was an increase of 69,000 in employment levels in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, and technology was the third-fastest growing sector for jobs in the UK overall.
Of these jobs, 71% were secured by women and there has been a 3% increase in minority representation in tech since 2015, with projected representation of ethnic minorities in tech estimated at 19%.
One of the potential reasons for this increase is the added accessibility of hybrid working.
For example, those with additional commitments (e.g., parents are carers) or those who cannot afford a daily commute if they don’t live in a central location may find hybrid working policies more appealing.
This is critical in tech recruitment as it means that there is a greater talent pool to hire from, and expanding your candidate pool can assist with your diversity and inclusion strategy.
There is also the increased innovation, lower absenteeism, increased talent retention and greater employee satisfaction to benefit from when there is a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion in a company.
If discussions around the impact of hybrid working, the pandemic and the Great Resignation have proven anything, it’s that the candidates are dictating the direction of the hiring market.
Particularly in tech where candidates are in high demand across a number of roles, there is no shortage of jobs, but instead, a shortage of highly skilled talent.
This means that candidates have been a catalyst for many of the changes across tech recruitment as employers scramble to better adjust their employee offering and recruitment process.
It is now down to employers (and their recruitment partners/agencies) to clearly communicate their values, culture and benefits to candidates in a way that differentiates them from their competition.
Companies are having to adapt to account for these changes as it’s no longer simply enough to rely on salary or traditional benefits and perks.
Most importantly, though, companies need to consider how they approach hybrid working in order for it to be effective for their recruitment – is hybrid working offered to every employee? Is there flexibility with the schedule of in-office and remote work?
If, for example, you only offer hybrid working to specific employees that have worked at your company for a while rather than every employee, it is unlikely to help your recruitment efforts.
Employers need to be mindful of how a candidate-driven market will impact their recruitment efforts to be able to best navigate it.
The way that hybrid working will truly impact tech recruitment will depend entirely on how it is leveraged by businesses.
Opening up a new talent pool in tech is hardly negative, and for a sector that has struggled with its diversity efforts for some time, hybrid working offers the opportunity to put candidates at the centre of the recruitment process.
Whilst tech has been ahead of the curve in many respects for employee benefits, particularly flexibility around work schedules, it’s time to account for these changes in your recruitment strategy to attract the best talent and remain competitive.
Get in touch with Remit today to discuss your tech recruitment needs.