By this time in our post-covid world, most workforces have made it overwhelmingly clear that a hybrid work model is now table stakes.

There’s no going back.

Most companies are focused on deciding whether to remain remote or bring some or all of their teams back to the office, but the reality is that the employees are the ones that are demanding work flexibility with a hybrid work model. Given the shortage of talent in many industries, and particularly in the tech space, companies will have no choice but to listen and adapt if they want to attract and retain the best talent.

What the data shows

Overwhelmingly, surveys have shown that a significant majority of both employers and employees feel that remote work has been successful. (SVB report) The majority of workforce surveys across major employers show that nearly ¾ of workers want flexibility and at least some remote work, and only a small minority want to be 100% in the office. Many workers have indicated they will change jobs if they are not allowed the flexibility they covet.

Given the ongoing talent shortage, it’s increasingly clear that companies will have no choice but to adapt to this new reality. This is most pronounced in the tech sector, where there are now over 900,000 unfilled software development jobs according to the most recent report on global outsourcing trends from Accelerance.

The benefits of remote work frequently outweigh working in an office

Anyone who’s worked in an office is well aware that there are pros and cons that come with it, but now that so many have had a chance to compare that with remote work, the cons are outweighing the positives. Take social interaction as one example. We all know the benefits of connecting face to face, and that is one of the most common things workers miss about being away from the office. But the reality is that in many cases, their interactions with others are random. It’s so common that everyone is sitting at their own desk, on calls and answering emails, without any interaction with people working at the same location.

The benefits of working from home are now abundantly clear for those who have experienced it first hand. Saving time by not commuting is an obvious one, but it’s also more efficient in many other ways, such as when you need to be home when the repairman shows up or when your child arrives home from school.

Parents, in particular, are finding huge value in the ability to be closer to their families and available when their children need them.

The flip side of the coin

Remote workers have also discovered some unexpected downsides to being away from the office, many of which became more apparent over time. Although there’s no commute, extended working hours often eat up the time savings. It’s difficult to set and maintain boundaries, and expectations of responsiveness from employees at all hours become the norm. The meeting count goes up (meetings have more than doubled in this data from users of Microsoft Teams), the email volume skyrockets, and it becomes more difficult to find time to focus on getting things done.

Productivity takes a big hit, but so does innovation. Teams can become siloed and isolated, and it can be difficult to foster innovation due to less collaboration across not only our work teams but also with our broader networks.

Worker mobility demands flexibility

Talent is increasingly mobile, with many actually relocating now that they have the opportunity. People are moving to areas with a lower cost of living, into the suburbs, especially in expensive areas like San Francisco and New York where there is greater demand than supply for many jobs.

Some are even relocating to emerging markets and more rural areas. (SVB report) A recent Microsoft report shows that 46% of people are rethinking where they live based on the possibility of remote working. Companies in smaller cities now have the opportunity to compete for talent that was otherwise beyond their reach.

Hybrid work expands your workforce

Another way companies can leverage a hybrid work model is to gain flexibility beyond their own workforce. Using outsourced workers to handle short-term needs and non-core business functions is one-way companies can maximize flexibility. eTeki’s done-for-you technical interview service is an example of how businesses can take advantage of expertise and resources beyond their own teams by outsourcing tech interviews to their global team of experts.

Hybrid Work is here to stay

The question that employers need to be asking themselves now is not whether hybrid work is the right model, but how they can design a hybrid environment where teams can succeed while being happy and productive. Arbitrary rules that require all employees to be in the office on certain days of the week are just not going to cut it.

Employers that embrace the new normal of hybrid work and find ways to exploit its advantages and minimize the negatives are the ones that will win.

Candidate experience is always a hot topic in HR, and deservedly so. It encompasses every touchpoint across the entire recruiting process, starting from the first interaction, human or digital, and continues through onboarding. The experience your company designs and delivers can be the difference between landing a top candidate and losing them to a competitor.

Given there are many touchpoints by various parties during the hiring process, we’ve outlined some of the most significant areas that impact candidate experience in technical hiring and how you can improve them.

Start with accurate job descriptions that tell a story

Although this step happens well in advance of the interview, accurate and clear job descriptions set the stage for success from the outset. The best descriptions outline clear goals and measurements, without a lot of buzzwords which can be a turnoff (particularly to many tech candidates). Be clear on both present and future expectations for the role, painting a picture of what is expected upon hiring as well as potential for growth.

A winning job description goes beyond roles and responsibilities to tell a compelling story of what the job entails, the work involved, and the team environment. According to Katrina Kibben, “the most important thing you can do in any job posting is to translate the skills required into everyday activities.”

Reduce data entry time for candidates

Recruiters and candidates frequently end up spending a lot of time entering information into applicant tracking systems (ATS). Using an ATS with a well functioning resume parser can increase efficiency by quickly entering unstructured data from a resume into your database and enabling advanced searches. It also improves the experience of the candidate by automatically filling forms that previously required manual effort, resulting in a lower bounce rate and more registrations. So the next time your company shops for the best ATS, make sure to evaluate the resume parsing functionality actually automates data entry for your candidates.

Streamline the hiring process

It’s important to be clear on the timeline and steps in your hiring process, and communicate that to everyone involved as well as the candidate. Time to hire is a key factor in landing competitive candidates, so it’s critical to reduce delays wherever possible.

Recruiters need to function as project managers, keeping the entire process moving forward across multiple teams. Appropriate intermediary steps and deadlines with owners should be set by working backward from the date the candidate needs to be hired. Key to accomplishing this is creating accountability between the hiring team and the recruiting team. The process starts with the intake with the hiring manager on requirements, and taking a strategic approach to the intake process can streamline the entire search.

Fast track the top candidates

The recruiter should be knowledgeable about available methodologies and have a productive relationship with the hiring manager, who should articulate their hiring needs accurately. For efficiency, the process should be designed so only the most qualified candidates are seen by the hiring manager, and top candidates should be fast-tracked. This means that technical screening should be performed before the candidate reaches the hiring manager. Appropriate knockout questions can weed out inappropriate candidates early in the process, and accurate scoring ensures the right candidates move forward.

Consider prequalifying a tech candidate’s relevant skills experience with an interviews-as-a-service partner (such as eTeki), to reduce the wait time between submittal and when the qualified IT professional actually meets with the hiring team.

For more tips on how to accelerate technical screening, see this article.

Use clear and frequent communication

Frequent and consistent communication is essential. Be clear about the next steps, and let candidates know about any delays or deviations from the schedule as soon as possible. While delays are often unavoidable, transparency from your side will go a long way in continuing a strong relationship between you and the candidate. Ghosting them can ruin the goodwill created during the entire recruiting process, so be sure to communicate, whether the news is positive or negative, in a timely manner.

The information that you communicate to the candidate can reveal a lot about your organization and provides another opportunity to showcase your company as well as filtering out candidates who may not be the best fit. The best recruiters are open about salary ranges but don’t pin down fixed numbers, which can save a lot of time by making sure a candidate’s salary expectations are in alignment with the organization.

Make scheduling smooth and efficient

Disorganized scheduling sends a bad message to candidates about what to expect when dealing with an organization. It’s important to be accommodating and to respect the candidate’s time. Tech interviews should be driven by when the candidate is available, not by the bottlenecks often caused by internal interviewing capacity. Avoiding the lengthy back and forth exchange which is so common becomes more feasible when partnering with a deep pool of experienced subject matter experts.

Use great interviewers with appropriate skill sets

Bad interviewers can be a huge turnoff to candidates. Good interviewers are prepared and represent the hiring organization positively. It’s important to ensure internal interviewers have been trained appropriately. Do not assume that because interviewers are experienced, they will be good. Ongoing training is key even for your more experienced interviewers, to ensure they ask the right questions and consistently represent the organization in an accurate way.

It’s important to ensure that each interviewer is evaluating appropriate skills and not stepping outside their own area of expertise. Even experienced hiring teams frequently find this to be a challenge when it comes to evaluating skills in new and emerging technologies.

If you don’t have appropriate subject matter expertise in house, consider using an interview service with a deep pool of expert technical interviewers that are currently working in the field.

Don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it

If your hiring team has gaps in any of these areas, don’t hesitate to look for additional support, whether it be from internal teams or external partners. In addition to providing expert interviewers with deep technical skills, eTeki’s interview-as-a-service platform facilitates a tight, streamlined process that will positively reflect on your organization.