Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
5 Changes Talent Leaders Should Make Now to Succeed in the
New Hybrid Work World
2021Edition
Table of ContentsIntroduction 2
Rethink work policies and technology to appeal to the new needs of your job applicants 3
Re-evaluate which benefits will best attract and retain talent 12
Use hiring assessments to gauge how new hires will perform in any work environment 19
Upgrade your approach to onboarding 23
Double down on your DE&I efforts 28
Conclusion 36
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 1
COVID-19 accelerated a trend that was already in the making: remote work.
What was once considered a perk at many companies a few years ago became commonplace for much of the workforce in 2020. The shift to more flexible, decentralized workplaces has been normalized, a status quo permanently changed.
The percentage of employees working from home is expected to double in 2021, according to a recent survey by US-based Enterprise Technology Research (ETR), a result of positive productivity trends. Indeed, a PwC report found that 83% of employers
say the shift to remote work has been successful for their company.
So on the employer side, remote work has been declared largely a success. But how do employees and people looking for a new job feel about all these changes? And how might your talent acquisition team adjust to get a leg up in the messy post-COVID future ahead?
In this guide, we’ll answer those questions by looking closely at job candidates' recent expectations and attitudes toward health benefits, work-life balance, candidate experience, and diversity and inclusion—and suggest 5 changes to help you meet this moment head-on.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 2
Rethink work policies and technology to
appeal to the new needs of your job applicants
3
Widespread shelter-in-place orders in 2020 forced companies to adopt new remote work processes. A year or so later, many are fine-tuning their processes, talking to employees, adjusting their tools, and discovering potential new ways to attract—and retain—top talent.
Here are some strategies to consider.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 4
Following a series of employee wellness surveys conducted during the pandemic, Salesforce announced its "Work from Anywhere" policy in February of 2021, offering employees three options: flex, fully remote, and office-based.
Like Salesforce, many organizations are taking advantage of the pandemic to gauge sentiments about a host of
First, survey your stafftopics, including commuting, work-life balance, office safety, productivity, mental and physical health, and social connectivity.
Getting clarity on what employees want can better inform policies, strengthen company culture and even provide new incentives that will attract candidates looking for a job with progressive benefits.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 5
A 2020 Gensler survey of 2,300 US office workers found that only 12% want to continue working from home full time. Why? The short answer: people. When asked to rank the most important factors for wanting to come into the office, "meetings with colleagues," "socializing with people," and "impromptu face-to-face interaction" were the top three answers.
But while workers may be keen to return to the workplace, they’re also looking for critical changes to be made first—think more space, less desk sharing, and increased support for virtual work.
Go hybrid
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 6
Because of these sentiments, a hybrid work model—that incorporates both remote work and in-office work—is expected to become the new "new normal" at many companies.
Of course, hybrid work models will pose a new set of challenges to organizations looking to maintain their company cultures, engage and support employees effectively, and bridge communication gaps.
The good news is that giving employees the flexibility to decide where they work can result in more overall job happiness, leading to even greater productivity. And setting up clear protocols (Do I use phone or video conference? Should I direct message or email?) can also help make communication and workflow issues easier to address.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 7
In the same spirit of accommodation, some companies are experimenting with (or have even adopted) asynchronous schedules, enabling remote team members to work remotely across time zones. Employees at companies who favor this model say it gives them more chunks of uninterrupted work time, better work-life balance, less commuting stress, and the freedom to live wherever they want.
Go asynchronous
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 8
The adjustment to remote work has been universally challenging, but many surveys have shown that there are surprising generational differences of opinion on working from home.
The aforementioned Gensler survey found that older workers (Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers) seem to have adapted fairly easily to remote work. They report feeling that they know what is expected of them and are more likely to feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of a remote workday.
Consider demographic differences Counterintuitively, more tech-savvy but less experienced Gen Z and Millennial workers have developed a more pessimistic view of WFH life, and may benefit more from in-person office time. These younger workers say they feel less connected, productive and informed about what's happening on projects, and have experienced difficulty avoiding distractions and collaborating with colleagues at a distance.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 9
While video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet have helped businesses adjust their communications amid hasty lockdowns, some companies are now looking for more robust and interactive ways to huddle with remote teammates and conference audiences. There are options that may feel straight out of a sci-fi flick today, but are expected to become much more commonplace in the coming decade.
Make further tech upgrades Hybrid meetings and conferences allow in-person events to take place in a single location, with key speakers and participants being present. At the same time the event is transmitted to satellite locations virtually, allowing for broader participation.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 10
Need more direct collaboration? Virtual reality technology platforms such as Spatial and Immersed use VR to offer intimate meeting locales and seminar experiences. They feel more interactive than staring at a grid of heads on your laptop screen and enable active participation in meetings and work sessions.
Utilizing VR headsets may be a barrier to entry for some, but these technologies allow participants without headsets to join from the web as well.
If VR headsets aren't your thing, you could always host a holographic virtual meeting. Companies like DVEholographics and PORTL offer live holographic videoconferencing for
“If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.“
Steven JohnsonAuthor, Where Good Ideas Come From and How We Got to Now
ultra-dimensional meetings and conferences. Though these solutions require custom hardware for all participants, the technology is becoming less costly and could provide an exceptional alternative to standard video conferencing platforms.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 11
Re-evaluate which benefits will best attract
and retain talent12
Even though the pandemic has changed the employment landscape, offering the right mix of benefits is as important as ever.
According to a survey by Prudential Insurance:
52% of respondents would leave their job for one with the “right” benefits.
77% said that benefits are a “key part of their compensation.”
In particular, job seekers are looking for benefits that help to better address the challenges of balancing their work and home lives, and many companies are responding in kind. So team up with the members of your benefits team and consider what changes might give your company a competitive advantage.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 13
A swanky, perk-packed office may not have the same allure it once did, particularly for remote-minded workers.
Think of ways you can repurpose that space—for example, offering bigger breakout pods for those synchronized brainstorm sessions, or reconfigured personal workspaces that offer more space, quiet, and privacy.
Reimagine your office space(and perks)
Or—if leadership has decided to move into a smaller office space because most of your workforce is now WFH—make the case to earmark the rental savings for benefits that will appeal to people working remotely, like a home office furniture budget or lunch delivery stipend.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 14
A 2017 Fractl survey found that “better health, dental and vision insurance” topped a list of most important benefits, and the pandemic has only reinforced this need.
Even when COVID-19 concerns begin to ease up, job candidates are still going to seek out companies with thoughtful health benefits, particularly ones that prioritize employee wellbeing with mental health services and expanded sick leave.
Keep offering virtual health and wellness benefits
In the past year, many companies started offering virtual counseling, comping the cost of mindfulness apps like Calm or Headspace, and encouraging employees to take advantage of online fitness classes instead of hitting an in-person gym. Even if most of your employees intend to return to your office space, they may prefer the convenience of these virtual options, so keep them in place for the near future.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 15
Paid family leave and child and elder care expense benefits were growing trends even before the pandemic, but have since become a critical need for many. One research study by Care.com found that family-friendly policies were a top reason employees would choose to stay at a current job or leave for a new one. Flexibility, paid family leave, and subsidized backup child care were all favored above commuter benefits, student loan, and tuition assistance.
Early in the pandemic, Facebook and Google both began offering additional paid family days, while Salesforce
Keep it family-friendlyprovided employees with a babysitter/nanny stipend through Care.com.
Recognize the evolving ideas of family, such as making domestic partnership benefits available to all employees, not just the ones in same-sex relationships. Or expand bereavement benefits to cover all of the key people in someone’s life, even if they aren’t blood relatives.
Also, offering pet insurance is another way to help remote employees find peace of mind while caring for the furry family members they often are spending every day with at home.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 16
It’s well-established that employees who take personal time off come back to work recharged and more productive. Yet the pandemic has found many workers more reluctant than ever to use their vacation and sick days. According to a survey by software company Zenefits, PTO requests in April and May of 2020 dropped by almost half. Obviously this all work, no play schedule can lead to eventual burnout and employee dissatisfaction.
Get creative with PTO
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 17
Companies are addressing the problem in different ways—such as holding company-wide days off for focused personal time, or having members of leadership announce when they’re taking PTO to set the example.
By offering generous benefits such as unlimited PTO packages, “forced time off,” four-day workweeks, or sabbaticals, companies can strongly emphasize the importance of truly disconnecting from work—and differentiate themselves from their competitors.
"Providing maximum flexibility for people is truly servicing their well-being needs because every person has different gaps they're looking to round out.”
Erika ZaunerCEO of HealthKick
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 18
Use hiring assessments to gauge how new hires will perform in any work
environment19
Offering exceptional benefits will attract top talent, but deciding which candidates are right for every job opening you have can be challenging—especially if you’re interviewing people and building teams at a distance.
If your company hasn’t used pre-employment assessments before, this is an excellent time to take a look. And if you are using an assessment, now’s also a good time to make sure you’re
using the tools proven to be most predictive of job success.
Organizations today need employees that can thrive in any environment. Naturally, a candidate’s level of experience and technical skills are key considerations, but there are other qualities that are even more predictive of success that resumes and interviews don’t reveal.
Assessments are particularly powerful because they can provide insights into a person’s most stable traits—the things that are most predictive of their work style and job performance, regardless of circumstances.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 20
Cognitive tests are widely considered the best general predictor of job performance. They can help uncover a candidate’s problem-solving skills, and reveal how they learn from experience and adjust to their environment, providing you with insight into their ability to acquire job knowledge and adapt to the changing needs of your organization.
Adding a personality assessment to your cognitive assessment can help you also understand a candidate’s behavioral tendencies toward their job. Are they agreeable? Sociable? Able to manage stressful situations? Can they find creative solutions to problems? Will they follow through on responsibilities? Are they self-motivated?
Cognitive tests Personality tests
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 21
Whether an employee will work independently at home or onsite within a team, the right kind of assessments can help you identify candidates with the highest potential to succeed at their job, wherever they do it.
As a bonus, Wonderlic offers
candidates curated results of their
assessment tests. Assessment
feedback is a way for employers to
provide jobseekers tangible value in
exchange for their time—and create a
more positive candidate experience.
“People are not your most important asset. The right people are.”
Jim CollinsAuthor of Good to Great and Built to Last
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 22
Upgrade your approach to onboarding
23
After a rigorous assessment process, your top candidate has accepted your offer. Now it's time to reassure them that they've made the right decision.
Making new hires feel welcomed, valued, and engaged has always been critical; fail to do so, and you risk driving people away. Case in point, HR industry studies show that one out of five employees quit within 45 days of their first day of work.
But as companies shift into post-COVID mode, in which some employees may be onboarded remotely and some in the office, providing a consistently great experience to all may prove to become more challenging.
Here are a few areas to focus on:
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 24
On the day they accept the offer, ask a new hire’s team members to send friendly hand-written notes or personalized email messages to welcome them aboard.
Send them the essential paperwork, info, and tools they'll need to hit the ground running on their first day.
Then review the results of their hiring assessment to find out how they might best learn the new and complex tasks involved with their onboarding. At Wonderlic, we provide customers employee-specific New Hire Success Tips for this purpose.
Perfect preboarding
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 25
Next, look for ways to add personal touches to your new hires’ first days, particularly if they're working remotely.
Arrange home delivery of company swag and favorite snacks. Let everyone on your team order delivery for a virtual all-team welcome lunch. And consider giving the candidate a virtual tour of the office. Doing so will help fully remote or mostly remote employees feel more connected and give them a frame of reference when/if they do decide to pay the office a visit.
Fantastic first days
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 26
Helping a new hire build social capital in their earliest days can establish trust and a sense of common purpose. Schedule video meet and greets throughout the week and regular one-on-ones with their direct manager. Assign them a work buddy they can reach out to anytime. Invite them to any clubs and Slack channels (both work-related and strictly social ones) to help them to get comfortable, start asking questions, and share their own ideas.
In other words, keep all lines of communication as open as possible.
Help them network
“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person– not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”
Anne M. MulcahyFormer CEO, Xerox
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 27
Double down on your DE&I efforts
28
The past year has forced big changes in how we work, but has also turned a spotlight on the disparities and systemic inequities that diverse populations have long faced.
From a lack of safe, affordable child care, to insufficient internet access at home, to disproportionate levels of stress and illness, many employees who are BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQ, and
female have struggled to stay visible and supported. And these problems have only been exacerbated as greater numbers of these workers (who are overrepresented on the front lines as “essential”) contract COVID-19, have lost jobs, or have been unable to work remotely.
Many companies have already been making Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives more of a priority. If your organization hasn't, this re-set moment is the right time.
Here are some ways you and your colleagues in HR can create a more equitable and inclusive workplace:
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 29
Actually making this happen may seem overwhelming, especially when you note the efforts other companies are making. (Last year Microsoft announced a goal to double their number of Black managers and senior leaders in the U.S. by 2025. Facebook has also pledged to have 30% more people of color in leadership roles by 2025.)
So start small. Choose just one metric to focus on. For example, set a goal to bump up the percentage of Black
Set clear diversity hiring goalsemployees on your sales team by 10% within 12 months. Or pledge to increase female representation in entry-level manager roles by 15% within 6 months.
Also key: including more diverse candidates in your hiring pool. A Harvard Business Review study found that when there was only one woman or minority candidate in a pool of four finalists, their odds of being hired were statistically zero.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 30
If your company’s goal is to build a more diverse and equitable workforce, it will only happen with strategic, conscious effort. One way some organizations are working to reduce hiring bias is by blind selection, i.e., stripping identifying information such as names, home addresses, colleges, and other possible cultural cues from resumes.
Commit to eliminating hiring biasPre-employment assessments can also reduce hiring bias by placing greater focus on a candidate’s cognitive abilities and behavioral tendencies, rather than more subjective qualifications like socioeconomic background or college degrees.
Lastly, companies should consider actively encouraging employees to recommend candidates from minority communities.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 31
Minorities have been more greatly impacted by the pandemic partly because many have jobs that don’t enable them to work remotely, putting them at greater risk. Even as state and local governments begin lifting mitigation measures (and despite advances in vaccine distribution), the risks of contracting COVID-19 remain.
Make sure work environments are inclusive and safe
Company leadership (including talent leaders like you) should continue to promote employee safety in the workplace. And if you’re thinking of making a move into a smaller office space, be sure to consider its location. Is it easy for people from all neighborhoods to commute to, including those groups that often experience adverse impact?
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 32
The pandemic has also made digital accessibility a higher concern for companies, particularly for employees that are hearing or vision impaired, or are living with anxiety, autism, or ADHD.
So evaluate the suite of apps and programs your teams use to understand the accessibility features of each.
Also, adopt company-wide protocols that improve accessibility in remote meetings, like having people identify themselves before speaking, using closed captioning when possible, or having a moderator limit participants from talking over each other.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 33
Even when the pandemic is deemed “officially over,” its effects will undoubtedly linger—particularly for minority groups. Continue to promote and support any employee assistance programs (EAPs) and telehealth services your company may offer, and consider extending additional benefits, like designated mental health days or counseling programs. These actions show support to everyone, but can positively help your most impacted employees in particular.
Stay focused on mental health
“Inclusivity means not just 'we’re allowed to be there,’ but we are valued.I’ve always said: smart teams will do amazing things, but truly diverse teams will do impossible things.”
Claudia Brind-WoodyVP & Managing Director, IBM
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 34
While the pandemic has certainly revealed the challenges of remote work, it has also uncovered some powerful possibilities, particularly when it comes to collaborating effectively, addressing issues relating to diversity and inequities, and recruiting and retaining talent.
Companies that lean into a more flexible work model that caters to the evolving needs of candidates and employees
will benefit from a more diverse pool of great candidates and better retention. And while remote-first or hybrid work policies means a company can recruit high-quality workers who live anywhere, it also means that even the top candidate down the street has more options too. This will make talent attraction an entirely new game when location or sweet office amenities are less of a consideration.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 35
Want to learn how Wonderlic can give your team a hiring advantage in the unpredictable months ahead?
Schedule your demo here.
Whether your workplace is made of bricks and mortar or Zoom links and Slack chats, working with your HR colleagues to promote a culture of communication, collaboration and inclusivity is key.
And that’s a work revolution every company can get behind.
Copyright © 2021 Wonderlic. | 877.605.9496 | wonderlic.com 36
