How Unified Communications Has Paved the Way for Remote Working

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Many professionals today are familiar with standard UC (unified communications). It has been around for a while and was traditionally used for in-office communications. On-premise PBX allowed you to call up your boss’ office or email a request for printed documents to your secretary. With VoIP (voice over internet protocol), people had calling, messaging, and collaboration capabilities all over an internet connection.  

Today, with this change in the way we “go to work,” unified communications has adapted to meet our remote needs. Taking it a step further, it’s evolved to provide the capability for instant messaging across the globe, instantaneous file sharing through the cloud, and reliable video conferencing to help connect people wherever they may be working. Thanks to UC, we now have better options when it comes to “going to work.”  

 

How Unified Communications Enables Productive WFH Results 

With many companies opting in for UCaaS (unified communications as a service), they are experiencing the best of VoIP without the need and cost of infrastructure. When working from an office, UC depended heavily on fiber connectivity. Today, anyone can work from anywhere given a good internet connection – even wirelessly.  

This UC development means employees are able to bring their own devices (BYOD) and leverage their own computers and mobile devices. This can save employers expensive equipment costs, reduce ramp up periods and time needed to train new hires on equipment, and eliminate the need for installation of fiber or other infrastructure. More importantly however, it’s causing employees to become more efficient and productive. It makes sense that people perform better on the devices they already know how to use. With the ease of use and the effortless adoption, this remote working norm is set to be the #1 thing to stick around from the changes the COVID pandemic made to how we work.  

Not to mention, modern UC is more scalable than traditional data centers. Without the need for servers, telephony equipment, or phone lines – growth is only limited to bandwidth of a user’s internet connection. This makes it easier for hiring managers to grow their workforce by hiring people remotely. In turn, providing UC options really widens the potential candidate pool when hiring.  

 

How Unified Communications Enables Safer WFH Results  

What many people don’t realize is that leveraging UC when working from home actually has benefits that extend beyond working hours. With encrypted communication channels and the endpoint security that comes standard with most UC, people feel more secure sharing their data over personal networks because their work’s unified communications system helps safeguard their network at home. Cybercrime has increased 63% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, making network safety a top priority.  

benefits of unified communications

What This Means for the Future of UC 

In simple terms, unified communications is here to stay. It’s estimated that the UCaaS market will surge past $100B by 2024. In order to stay ahead of the game when it comes to the digitization of the workplace, businesses need to consider switching from traditional PBX to UC. In the same effort, those that are early adopters should further build out their UC strategy.  

When it comes to implementing and developing unified communications in any business, Blue Signal has the talent it takes to be successful in this evolving space. Whether you’re looking to support and build out remote teams and WFH policies, or you’re just curious what your first step should be in your UC journey, Blue Signal has your back. Contact our qualified unified communications recruiters today to get started.  

Blue Signal Named Among Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation, Fall 2021

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The National Association for Business Resources has released their fall 2021 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation.

The 2021 Fall National winning companies were assessed by an independent research firm which reviewed a number of key measures relative to other nationally recognized winners. This year’s fall Best and Brightest National nominees honored 167 winning organizations from across the country out of 1,500 nominations. Blue Signal is honored to be ranked among these incredible companies!

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation Winners will be honored during the virtual Illuminate Business Summit week in January 2022. During the Illuminate Business Summit, the 101 highest scoring national winning companies and the Elite awards will be awarded to the highest winning companies demonstrating exceptional innovative human resource practices and setting high standards for all businesses.

Best and Brightest Companies Winners Logo

The Elite categories include: Compensation, Benefits, and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement, and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection, and Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives; Strategic Company Performance, and the Best of the Best: Small Business, Medium Business, and Large Business. With over 20 years of experience conducting the Best and Brightest competitions, the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) has identified numerous best Human Resource practices and provided benchmarking for companies that continue to be leaders in employment standards.

“The Best and Brightest is a powerful community of elite leaders who share ideas and practices and have proven they are employers of choice. Best and Brightest winning companies have also been a voice for important actions in creating a sustainable culture that works, ensuring the wellbeing of their employees come first,” said Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO, Best and Brightest Programs.

All 2021 companies that will be selected to be recognized nationally as a Best and Brightest Company to Work For® will be featured in the online edition of Corp! Magazine. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Blue Signal’s mention!

 

About the Best and Brightest Programs

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This competition scores potential winners based on regional data of company performance and a set standard across the nation. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives, and building a stronger community as a whole. There are numerous regional celebrations throughout the country such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houston, Milwaukee, San Diego, and San Francisco. Nominations are now being accepted for all programs. Visit thebestandbrightest.com to nominate your organization.

 

About Blue Signal Search

Blue Signal was founded in Chicago in 2012, and since then, has grown into a multimillion-dollar executive placement firm with an office in Phoenix and remote employees nationwide. Blue Signal has established itself as the premier executive search firm within wireless/telecom, information technology, IoT, finance & accounting, emerging technology, cloud & managed services, manufacturing & industrial, lighting, logistics & supply chain, food & agriculture, human resources, medical & healthcare, and related industry niches.

At Blue Signal, we believe that hiring the right people is the best way to transform business, and that principle holds true for our own company as well. We employ some of the best talent acquisition professionals in the nation, and continuously work to keep them educated on best practices when it comes to diversity and inclusion in recruiting. By arming our employees with the top tools for the job, we’ve created a culture of excellence that’s second to none.

If you’d like to join our team and learn how you can make a difference within the recruiting world yourself, contact us today.

Illuminating the Right Talent: The Future of the Lighting Industry

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The initial boom of the lighting industry began with fluorescent lighting in the 1930s and 40s. Since then, the lighting industry has expanded and transitioned into a much higher technical and innovative field. LEDs dominated the lighting industry in 2020, sweeping 61% of the global lighting market. According to Mordor Intelligence, the LED lighting market was valued at $75.81 billion last year and is projected to grow to $160.3 billion by 2026.

Seasoned by 80+ years of evolvement, the lighting industry continues to innovate and expand market reach across almost every industry you can name. Lighting is in everything, everywhere, and affects everyone in all aspects of our daily routines. As we’ve come to rely on and expect this advanced technology, it’s often easier to overlook this market as one of the driving forces of innovation. One of the key advancements we’re seeing in the lighting industry is its entrance into the digital world. The lighting industry is stepping into the spotlight across the technology industry. Key companies and manufacturers are taking advantage of the use of lighting; digitally, wirelessly, and sustainably. The lighting industry as a whole is moving beyond its traditional purpose of illumination and adding value to tangible aspects of our, technologically advanced, new world.

Future Tech in the Lighting Industry

Technology that will Shape the Future:

Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR)

In the near term, the global AR/VR market is expected to grow by $125 billion in the period from 2020‒2024, according to research firm Technavio. As our digital world continues to advance into further capabilities of augmented and virtual realities, the lighting industry will evolve simultaneously. Beyond video gaming and entertainment use cases, virtual reality (VR) is on track to be utilized across a wide range of industries – vastly impacting the way we do business. For example, a lighting designer could sit down with a potential client and physically show how various lighting options would look like at a job site through augmented reality.

This same concept would be transferable across all industries and increase efficiency – leading to less waste, less downtime, and less confusion when delivering a product or service. To advance to this space, technology will need to continue to advance within the lighting industry. Innovations such as liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), digital light processing (DLP), and liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) lighting have built a strong foundation but individually lack in certain areas. The jury is still out on which innovative solution is to come, but the advancement is inevitable.

Machine Learning (ML)

As we venture into the possibilities of creating fully virtual worlds, lighting technologies are bound to play a major role in the way we create a life-like experience using imagery. But before that can come to fruition, data collection and machine learning (ML) will set the stage. The lighting industry will rely on this technology to further advance products through the collection of learned data and routines. The data collected by an all-digital lighting infrastructure is essential for diagnostics and root-cause analysis. The ability to detect and minimize premature wear out or system failures becomes essential when implementing lighting technology into critical devices – such as those in the healthcare industry. Further, the ability to digitally learn patterns and routines within homes and businesses will increase sustainability and cost-saving features by conserving energy during downtime.

Internet of Things (IoT)

In today’s day and age, we rely on the internet to be connected in most of our devices and throughout our daily routines. By no surprise, the Internet of Things (IoT) industry is booming with no sign of slowing down. This has made it a key player in the advancement in the lighting industry. Since lighting is used all around us, IoT enabled lighting advances the development of connected systems. This collaboration of two industries is further enabling smart buildings and devices we use in offices, businesses, and homes. Implementing IoT enabled LED lighting in every room of a building helps create smarter buildings and cities, enabling countless capabilities.

A particular market that is on the rise in the lighting industry is human-centric lighting (HCL). HCL is defined as light that mimics natural daylight throughout the hours of a day that in turn allows our bodies to function in their most natural and effective state. Human-centric lighting is among the key markets that are thought to be most effectively implemented with IoT compatible lighting. Further, we are seeing IoT compatible LED lighting as the powerhouse behind systems that innovate air conditioning and heating, power grid management, and even next-gen wireless communications.

Li-Fi

With the explosive advancements in 5G technology, Li-Fi is has become a key player in the cellular and internet space. As 5G connection ramps up and slowly becomes available, Li-Fi has been able to fill a gap in how efficiently we’re able to access information. Essentially, Li-Fi is the upgraded version of Wi-Fi internet connectivity using light rather than radio waves to transfer connection. With the functionality to transfer data at speeds up to one hundred times faster, it has opened up the unlimited capabilities the lighting industry has to offer. For example, having Li-Fi integrated into LED lighting would create an alternate path for internet connectivity in high traffic and functioning spaces such as commercial buildings such as airports and offices. By being able to transmit at multiple gigabits, being more reliable, virtually interference free, and uniquely more secure than radio technology such as Wi-Fi or cellular, Li-Fi is the key to a connected community.

Lighting Controls

The advancement of IoT and Li-Fi technology has enabled the lighting industry to develop innovated lighting controls. These controls allow for ease of use and functionality within lighting products. With smart lighting as the clear future of the lighting industry and products, these controls have become a vital piece in the inevitable adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and other advancing technology. From these advancements, sensors and lighting automation have seen an influx in demand. By using integrated sensors and controls, no central control hardware or room-based sensors need to be wired. This allows for a faster installation and increased accessibility. It has now become simple for users to adjust settings, automate schedules, and utilize their lighting products from virtually anywhere by connecting through portable applications – no cables or wires required. On a larger scale, this capability allows for the collection of important information about the operation of structures or systems such as power grids and emergency generators. Allowing us to make more informed decisions and ensures safety precautions are in place and running smoothly at all times.

The Future of Hiring in the Lighting Industry:

As these technologies linked to the lighting industry continue to advance, what does this mean in terms of the industry’s job market? For clients, candidates, and recruiters alike it means honing in on key skill sets and niches that stand out. One of the top skills impacting the lighting industry involves controls implementation. This certain integration with other technologies is not an intuitive process and requires specific education that is not simply taught on the job. In today’s job market, electrical contractors can differentiate themselves by their ability as system integrators. In turn, recruiters can highlight these candidates and hiring managers can start their search for these candidates while the supply is still available. A working knowledge of the various protocols and best practices for integration will be critical for the foreseeable future.

Li-Fi is another key market that should be narrowed in on when sifting through candidate’s skills and knowledge. This new technology has momentum, products are available, and the limitations of 5G in interior spaces will further accelerate the value of Li-Fi in the marketplace. Electrical engineers that understand the implementation of data-flow solutions through Li-Fi-enabled fixtures will be vastly sought after in the lighting industry.

Lastly, COVID-19 has brought on an increased need for advanced technology within the healthcare industry. Niche market segments like ultraviolet disinfection products have increased in demand. Ultraviolet light has been used to sterilize and disinfect medical equipment for quite some time but lacked innovation as of recently. The global impact of the pandemic triggered researchers across the globe to develop an ultraviolet LED solution to disinfect and sterilize hospital beds, floors, and surfaces more thoroughly than ever before. This has become critical technology and with its new advancement, the lighting industry is predicted to build upon these innovations and further implement them across industries.

As we can see, lighting plays an integral role in essentially every market sector. Coupled with recent innovation in technology, the capabilities are endless. With the overall theme of emerging tech moving toward all-digital infrastructures, every new innovation in the lighting industry leads to a golden opportunity to lay the foundation for advancement. The global lighting industry is expected to grow to $163 billion by 2027, which has proven itself not to be a market to overlook. When navigating this exciting time in a growing sector, utilize the expertise of Blue Signal’s recruiters who are seasoned with over 15 years of experience hiring within the lighting industry. We are a trusted source with a firm understanding of what it takes to find qualified candidates – faster than the speed of light. Reach out to one of our specialized recruiters today and start illuminating the way to your perfect hire or dream job.

Key Recruiting Strategies for the 2020’s: 5 Takeaways from NAPS

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Blue Signal recently attended the NAPS conference to gain insight on new recruiting strategies, learn tips from the most tenured in the industry, and connect with fellow recruiting professionals. The NAPS (National Association of Personnel Services) 2021 Conference is “the premier education opportunity representing the search, recruiting & staffing industry.” The conference was held September 26-28th at the Green Valley Ranch Resort, outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, with over 300 attendees from the recruiting and staffing industry.

The mission of the NAPS conference is for attendees to learn best practices, recruiting strategies, and understand how to improve their business through case studies, while expanding their professional network. Overall, the NAPS conference provided a wealth of knowledge to those in the recruiting industry. Here were some of our Blue Signalers’ favorite takeaways.

Key Recruiting Strategies - Group Photo

Matt Walsh – Counteroffers/Ghosting, New Tech, Working and Hiring Virtually: How to Recruit and Thrive during the NEW Roaring 20’s

Matt Walsh is the CEO and Founder of Blue Signal, a nationwide executive search firm. Matt founded Blue Signal in 2012 after noticing pain points in the recruiting industry, and has since grown the company to a multimillion-dollar search firm with over 40 employees across the country. With over a decade of recruiting experience, Matt’s expertise spans across various industries, from telecommunications to wireless, IoT, and more. As an awarded Pinnacle Society member, he is a highly sought after and well-respected leader in the industry.

Matt’s session explored ways to stay at the forefront of recruiter’s changing virtual landscape and how to get one step ahead of your competition. In the session, Matt dove into best tactics and recruiting strategies to build stronger relationships, win more business, and make more placements. As a result, attendees learned techniques to handle many new challenges facing recruiters today – including ghosting, counteroffers, and emerging technology.

Blue Signal’s Takeaway: Thriving in the new “Roaring 20’s” is going to take deliberate effort from recruiters and clients alike. Blue Signal’s recruiters are constantly learning new technologies, counteroffer techniques, and recruiting strategies to best support our clients in navigating these challenges. As the digital landscape of recruiting continues to evolve, Blue Signal strives to address these changes through direct partnership with our clients.

Key Recruiting Strategies - Matt Speaking

Rudy Ruettiger – Keynote Speaker

Rudy Ruettiger is an Emmy Award-winning motivational keynote speaker, producer, and author with over 25 years of experience speaking to corporations, universities, sports teams, and at special events. Rudy is best known for his underdog-to-hero performance in the 1975 Notre Dame football game against Georgia Tech. Despite being 5’6”, Rudy sacked Georgia Tech quarterback Rudy Allen in the last 27 seconds of the game – becoming the first Fighting Irish player to do so. His story of hard work, fierce dedication, and self-motivation inspired many. Today Rudy uses his platform to share his experiences of adversity and triumph, while encouraging others to “Never Quit.”

Blue Signal’s Takeaway: Once a one-man-shop, Blue Signal has its own underdog-to-hero story. Through hard work and perseverance, our CEO & Founder Matt Walsh grew Blue Signal into a nationwide recruiting firm with over 40 employees. Fierce dedication and self-motivation are in the blood of every recruiter at Blue Signal, especially when facing rejection comes with the job. Thus, Rudy’s mantra of “Never Quit” resonated with many Blue Signalers. As we continue to fight the war for talent, Blue Signal is dedicated to finding top talent through diligence, perseverance, and innovative recruiting strategies.

Barb Bruno – High-Tech High Touch Recruiting

Barbara Bruno is a recognized expert in the staffing and recruiting space, with over 30 years of experience. As an expert trainer, Barb has developed over 15 LinkedIn recruiting courses taken by millions around the world. She is currently the CEO of Good As Gold Training, a web-based training service for recruiting and staffing professionals, and the President of H & R Search.

In a world dominated by technology, it’s crucial that recruiting and staffing professionals use it for beneficial touchpoints with candidates. Barb’s session discussed how to implement changes to “combine high-tech with a high-touch approach to business.” Topics addressed in the session included how communication has changed, why we need to stop writing skill-based job descriptions, why we need to interview to eliminate emotion or bias, and how to place candidates who become engaged and retained.

Blue Signal’s Takeaway: Our team loved the way Barb took recruiting back to the basics to exemplify what we all work for – changing lives. Barb described recruiting as being “all about relationships,” and we couldn’t agree more. As a relationship-based recruiting firm, Blue Signal focuses on recruiting strategies that build long-term partnerships with both our clients and candidates. As a result, our recruiters are able to thoroughly understand the needs of our clients’ businesses and fill their talent gaps, while working with candidates throughout their professional career. We plan on continuing to strengthen our relationship-based recruiting strategies in the 2020’s and building powerful partnerships along the way.

Jeremy Sisemore - A Fresh and Unique Approach to Metrics That Really Matter

Jeremy Sisemore is a prominent IT recruiter with over 18 years in the industry. In 2006, he founded ASAP Talent Services, a firm offering direct-placement, executive-retained, and contract staffing. Throughout his career, Jeremy has over $12M in personal production (billings) and has placed SAP talent at all levels up to CIO with over 75 Fortune 500 clients throughout North America. Today, Jeremy serves as a Billing Manager for ASAP Talent Services.

In A Fresh and Unique Approach to Metrics That Really Matter, Jeremy covered how he measures his team, predicts success and failure, prevents slow periods, and limits the valleys in his business. Jeremy discussed the metrics used in the 90’s and 2000’s for search firms, and how those metrics have evolved for the 2020’s.

Blue Signal’s Takeaway: A key takeaway our team took from Jeremy’s session was one of his recruiting strategies, called the “5 Alive and 10 In Process.” This is how Jeremy’s team keeps track of their pipeline. At any point, his recruiters should have five “Alive” candidates actively interviewing with a client, and ten candidates somewhere “In Process” – that could be submitted, in scheduling, at the offer stage, etc. While traditional recruiting metrics focus on submittals, send outs, and placements, we find this process a more beneficial way to measure the pipeline. Finding metrics that really matter will improve our recruiting strategies and strengthen our recruiters’ processes – which will ultimately help us make more placements.

Jordan Rayboy – Mental Health – The Struggle is Real

Jordan Rayboy is a NAPS conference veteran, giving numerous presentations over the years. He is the founder of Rayboy Insider Search and a member of the Pinnacle Society. Jordan has over 20 years of recruiting experience, and he specializes in the storage, data management, and cybersecurity marketplace.

Stress caused by the pandemic has taken a major toll on the recruiting industry, and on us as recruiting professionals. In The Struggle is Real, Jordan shared the challenges he’s faced in the last year and a half, and what helped him in addressing his mental health.

Blue Signal’s Takeaway: The pandemic has affected each of our lives in unique, but unifying, ways. It’s caused us to pivot recruiting strategies, take on new challenges, and of course, face unprecedented times. A major takeaway from Jordan’s session was how imperative mental health is to our success – as a business, as recruiters, and as individuals. In such a stress-inducing industry, prioritizing mental health is crucial. Blue Signal strives to prioritize mental health and wellness by providing resources to our employees, clients, and candidates.

"Jordan’s [session] brought me back to the real reason that I love working in recruiting – to change lives and further a company that truly cares about its employees, candidates, and clients alike."

— Jessica Walsh, Blue Signal’s General Counsel

From metrics to mental health, the information we learned at NAPS was invaluable. The sessions gave us some key recruiting strategies to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to trends and technology in the 2020’s. Between the knowledge gained and the relationships made, NAPS was an unforgettable event for those in the recruiting and staffing industry. For many Blue Signalers, the event reignited their original passion for what they do. We look forward to implementing these recruiting strategies into our practice, and can’t wait to see you all at NAPS 2022!

Key Recruiting Strategies - Group Cheers

Coffee with a Recruiter Feat. Karli Larson – Mastering Engagement for Remote Employees

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Karli Larson is Blue Signal’s own employee engagement guru. As our Director of People and Culture, Karli helps BSS keep our own workforce engaged – with nearly 40 remote employees nationwide! Her initiatives have resulted in marked improvement in engagement as well as overall employee satisfaction. Karli’s expertise can easily be applied to any remote workforce. Watch her segment and read on to hear about some of her best practices!  

“Whether your workforce was remote before the pandemic, they were forced to go remote, or they transitioned to remote indefinitely as a result of the pandemic, you may be wondering – how do I keep everyone engaged? Virtual happy hours have lost their luster and there is no longer an opportunity to connect by the water cooler or coffee machine, so what keeps people connected when they’re working remotely?” 

 

Can Remote Employees be Fully Engaged?  

“YES! And it doesn’t cost you a lot of money or time spent sipping White Claw at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in front of your computer screen. Recent studies have shown that remote employees who get regular feedback are the most engaged out of any other group, including in-person employees! They have the autonomy of working how and where they want to and they get meaningful feedback, creating optimal engagement.” 

 

What Exactly do Remote Employees Need to be Engaged? 

“Connection is the name of the game here. My top three suggestions for getting people engaged are: 

#1 - Connection with their manager.  

Employees want to know how they are performing and that someone cares about their success and well-being. This comes from regular one-on-ones. These one-on-ones can be every week, biweekly, or monthly depending on the needs of the employee, but they should be scheduled and there should definitely be an agenda. Gallup did a study that found that managers account for a 70% variance in employee engagement. So, no pressure managers, but you influence how your team feels about their job and the company. 

#2 - Connection to their peers.  

Human beings have an inherent desire to belong to a group. This sense of belonging helps them appreciate their work and not feel like they are going at it alone. Having regular team meetings creates a culture of shared values and open communication. Team meetings should focus on team goals that everyone’s striving for. They should also celebrate people's wins and offer assistance when people are dealing with work related hurdles. 

#3 - Connection to the company.  

Being connected to the company can look different for many people, but it starts before the  offer is ever made. Maybe they align with your mission and values, they feel connected to the philanthropic endeavors of the company, or they’re just really excited about the company culture that they’re seeing online. Most of the time there is an attraction to your company, and you should find out what it is. During an interview, simply asking, “what drew you to our company?” will not only tell you about the level of research they did about your company, but it will also let you know what’s important to them.” 

 

So Remote Employees Don’t Want Virtual Happy Hours?  

“People want connection! So, after there has been a meaningful connection – i.e., the three things we just went over – find ways to bring people together. This may be mentorship programs, special groups, or even the occasional happy hour with games to learn about each other.” 

 

Why is this Important? 

“When you have high employee engagement, you have productive employees and better overall results – and that’s a win-win!” 

 

Key Takeaways for Ensuring Engagement with your Remote Employees 

When examining your engagement level among remote employees, it can be easy to miss some of the details. For instance, does your online presence align with your company’s values and goals? As a remote employer, how do you highlight your culture to job seekers? It’s important to make sure that your content represented both internally and externally to the worldwide web audience reflects the reasons why employees were excited to work for you to begin with. Make the mission of your remote engagement initiatives clear to everyone who sees your content. This way, you’ll attract candidates whose needs you are ready and able to meet. Furthermore, you’ll improve your retention by making those working for you today feel part of the bigger picture.  

Karli covers several main points within her segment. Namely, that the tools to ensure engagement within your remote employees are simple, and free! With a good set of company values, the right communication, and dedicated leadership, remote employees will thrive when given the opportunity to connect. 

Karli Larson
Karli Larson

Karli Larson

SR. MANAGER OF PEOPLE & CULTURE

Karli’s path to HR came from her two passions, people and service. She believes that HR is one of the single most human-based roles out there. By supporting the internal culture for the humans of Blue Signal, she is in turn helping humans from all industries succeed in their chosen careers!

 

Become a Dominant Hybrid Workforce by Leveraging Your Recruiter

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In this digital age, many companies are turning to virtual recruiting to help supplement an increasingly remote and hybrid workforce. Several top companies have started the switch, recognizably Ford, Citigroup, Microsoft, and Spotify. With the pandemic driving an immediate need, we’ve accelerated global digitization on a large scale. However, it’s leading many in management to question how going remote will affect productivity, profitability, and their workforce.

When it comes to employees’ wants, the message is clear. According to Dice’s 2021 Technologist Sentiment Survey, 59% of respondents preferred full-time remote work or some combination of in-office and remote work. Dice theorizes that the events of 2020 have given several professionals a new outlook on remote work, and in turn they have come to expect more flexibility from employers. Furthermore, Dice estimates that 149M new technology jobs will join the market by 2025 to support this digital shift. So how can companies make the switch to a hybrid workforce - especially among a market with such exponential growing need? That’s where virtual recruiting can help.

Dominant Hybrid Workforce - Employees Expect Flexibility

Choosing a Hybrid or Remote Workforce - What Recruiters Can Tell You

As a Hiring Authority

Several studies have proven that employing a hybrid workforce has had a positive impact on productivity, as well as significant money savings. From a hiring perspective, the greatest benefit of all comes from hybrid workforce models opening up the candidate pool to independent talent. By widening your search parameters and allowing people to telecommute, you can tap into a candidate pool that would have been inaccessible otherwise - whether that’s due to geography or time commitment constraints.

We know what you’re thinking - managing a remote workforce during 2020 was nothing short of an immense challenge - why would we go back to that? Contrary to popular belief, most of the struggles workers experienced during pandemic-era remote work aren’t a hindrance to actual remote work. For instance, with children going back to in-person learning settings, professionals no longer need to balance work with childcare during their normal 9 to 5. Not to mention, in this increasingly competitive marketplace, allowing hybrid work could be the key to better retention. In the talent acquisition industry we know that it’s not the setting that makes or breaks a good employee - it’s the employee themselves, and their drive to succeed. Those who do remote work right can do it well.

As an Employee

Hybrid work models offer a plethora of benefits for workers, when the job permits. Several noteworthy pros include   and better work/life balance. But if you were to ask a recruiter, they’d tell you that the most important benefit remote work gives you is location independence. Where would you live if you could take your work with you? The possibilities are only limited by the reach of your Wi-Fi! Simply put, negotiating hybrid or remote work options into your employment contract can give you more freedom in how and where you spend your time, and a recruiter can help support you on that journey.

 

Building Your New Talent Brand as a Hybrid Employer

Once you’ve decided to take the plunge and allow hybrid work, your next step should be toward solidifying your employer brand as a hybrid workforce. In order to attract the digitally savvy candidates you are looking for, you’ll have to meet them where they’re at. Focus your online presence on attracting candidates, especially those Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z professionals. Hybrid work models appeal greatly to the next economy-leading generations, which works out well considering they are the ones who were raised in the digital age. Leverage your recruiters to help you navigate this market. As talent specialists, we have the insider knowledge needed to hack into that hybrid-seeking candidate pool.

Dominant Hybrid Workforce - Things to Consider

Things to Consider When Supporting a Hybrid Workforce

New Hiring Processes

Just as with many areas of work changing to accommodate this digital shift, hiring is following suit. Make sure you are prepared to tackle this new process before beginning your talent searches. Do you have the right tools to recruit remotely? What are your new interview timeframes, when you counter in a mix of in-person and virtual interviews? Are you prepared to negotiate remote work structures when you make an employment offer?

Candidates are ready to ask for what they want when it comes to hybrid working. Your business needs to have offer letter structures in place that reflect what you need from which roles when it comes to hybrid work, such as: how often someone is required to be in office, what their working hours should be when working from home, and what the expectation is when it comes to completing various projects associated with the role. Your needs can vary in flexibility given the scope of the role you hire. Leverage your recruiter to ensure none of these details slip through the cracks, and make expectations clear from the onset.

New Onboarding Processes

Establish what your onboarding process will look like for new hybrid hires. Will initial training be in person? What will you provide for their remote office workspace, and what will they need to provide on their own? What kind of support can you give employees when they’re working remotely, such as IT, mentorship, HR contacts, etc.? It may be hard to visualize what you need ahead of time, but ask your recruiter for what practices would best fit your work model.

New Remote Company Culture

When allowing employees to work from home, it’s easy to forget that you are quite literally entering a new part of their lives. Even with virtual backgrounds and pre-scheduled meetings, you’ll be immersed in their home lives by “meeting” them in their own living rooms. This doesn’t need to change the professional dynamic of your reporting relationship, but it’s important to remember when building out this new remote company culture.

Even when working in-person, it’s a simple fact that most full-time professionals may be spending more time with their coworkers than they do with their own spouses and kids. Now, that same time is spent virtually! Therefore, it’s important to be real with your workforce in this setting and maintain that same bond that you would in person, over the computer or phone. Create an atmosphere of mutual respect that acknowledges the reality of working from home, and trust that they’re on task even when you can’t knock on their office door to check in. For more best practices on keeping a remote workforce actively engaged, ask your recruiter.

Fine-Tuning Remote Business Processes

Make sure to leverage opportunity when it’s presented to you. For instance, your newly hybrid workforce may be available to customers in different time zones, expanding the hours in which you’re accessible. Processes that were once manual may be able to be digitized, like submitting reports or internal communications.

Your recruiter can confirm, a hybrid workforce can come with some unforeseen advantages. However, knowing ahead of time what can and cannot be digitized will help you determine how often you need your employees in the office or remote. According to the Dice 2021 Technologist Sentiment Report, more than half of respondents indicated a preference for full-time remote work or a combination of in-office/remote work, while just 17% indicated they would prefer to work in an office 100% of the time. In Dice’s Q4 2020 Salary Survey, participants said they desired 2-3 days in-office per week - thus confirming that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating remote workforce plans. Consult with your recruiter on what best aligns the market’s wants with what you’re willing to offer potential employees.

 

How a Recruiter Can Help Build Your Hybrid Workforce

In the age of digital recruiting, there are several recruiters out there who specialize in procuring and supporting remote workers. Do your research and pick a hybrid workforce recruiter that you can partner with on your quest to dominate your new working model. A good recruiter will be able to coach you through the virtual hiring and onboarding process, a great recruiter will be able to take the hybrid interviewing off your hands. They will know how to best access the hybrid talent pool, and will provide search services catered to your unique search. Once you’ve found who you want to hire, your recruiter can impart best practices for an awesome, flexible office culture.

The world of employment is changing, and employers will need to adapt to remain competitive. Make sure to choose a plan that’s best for you by hiring a hybrid workforce recruiter that can deliver your hiring goals. As specialists in this space, Blue Signal can give you this and more on your way to becoming a dominant hybrid workforce.

Employee Referrals: A Sourcing Secret

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The Importance of Employee Referrals

Employee referrals may be the best kept secret when it comes to recruiting. Whether you have just begun a search or are months in the trenches, employee referrals can be an important tool when sourcing talent. Traditional methods of recruiting through career sites and job boards are starting to become less fruitful as the platforms become saturated with candidates that have dozens of recruiters pining after them. When you hit a dead end with your traditional sourcing methods, it’s time to turn to your network. Recruiters and hiring managers are realizing that qualified (and often passive) talent can be found through word of mouth – that is, through asking their network for employee referrals.

Why Employee Referrals are the Best Source of Hire

They’re Effective:

Research from Jobvite found that the most effective way to find top talent is through employee referrals, citing that 78% of recruiters find their best quality candidates using this sourcing method. Despite career sites and job boards having the highest number of applications, employee referrals have the highest conversion-to-hire rate. This makes employee referrals cost effective while streamlining the timeline of the search. According to Jobvite, only 7% of applicants come from referrals. Incredibly, this small number accounts for nearly all hires – further proving that employee referrals are lucrative when recruiting top talent.

Graphic explaining why to hire employee referrals. Paragraph of text next to a horizontal bar graph of hires by source type vs. applications by source type.

In addition to being cost and time effective, employee referrals are the most efficient when it comes to onboarding. Employee referrals onboard with an average of 29 days from their application date, which is 55% faster than applicants on a career site (with an average of 55 days). By onboarding faster than other hire sources, employee referrals are able to get up to speed and start succeeding in their new roles quicker. Consequently, this saves companies money. With the average cost of an open role being around $18,000, having an vacancy for months on end can be detrimental. At the end of the day, employee referrals are the most effective way to save time and money during your search.

They’re a Better Culture Fit:

When it comes to hiring, determining if a candidate is a culture fit can be a make-or-break decision. Despite job boards and career sites attracting hundreds of applicants, candidates referred by a current employee are more likely to reflect and/or adapt to the core values and attitudes of an organization than those from other hire sources. Consequently, recruiters consider an employee referral to be the second most important factor when evaluating a candidate because those candidates are proactively evaluated as a good fit for the company by the referring party. In addition, the new hire has a cultural support system before they even step through the door; the referring party will be genuinely invested in the new hire’s success and will help them navigate the corporate culture. As a result, having an employee that you know matches the organization’s ethos and structure will not only strengthen company culture overall, but decrease turnover.

They Have Higher Retention Rates:

Employee referrals have the highest retention rate compared to hires from other sources, with the average length of employment being over three years. Having been referred by a previous or current employee, candidates that come in with detailed insights of the company – such as company culture and structure – have a significant advantage over their counterparts. This knowledge eases new job nerves and guarantees less speedbumps during the onboarding process. Equally as beneficial, employees who refer others also have a higher retention rate, and stay at the company 20% longer. With increasing retention rate becoming a major recruiting priority for 2021, hiring managers need to invest in employee referrals – they’re a win-win-win for the referrer, referee, and the company.

How to Get Employee Referrals

Employee referral programs are a tried-and-true method of unlocking top talent. According to Jobvite, 79% of organizations offer an employee referral program, and 48% of organizations are seeing a higher participation in these programs in 2021. By tapping into their current employees’ networks, companies could potentially expand their talent pool by 10x. Although employee referral programs have potential for great success, they are entirely dependent on the motivations of the referring party – whether it’s wanting to help their friend, wanting to support the company, or wanting to receive the monetary incentive provided. Therefore, this could be unpredictable and unreliable for filling urgent roles. Whilst established referral programs can be a great source for roles that aren’t time sensitive, it is also important to consider other ways to reach employees’ networks.

Today, one of the most important networks is the one found online. Utilizing social networks among recruiters has been a common practice, but has picked up momentum in the recent years. Over one third of recruiters are leveraging social media to supplement employee referral programs. Additionally, 80% of recruiters believe that investing in social media is absolutely crucial, as more and more candidates are being found through social networks. As your network expands, so does the opportunity for employee referrals. An action as simple as a LinkedIn connection could lead to your next placement. For example, if you have 500 connections on LinkedIn and each of your connections has 100 connections, that totals 50,000 reachable contacts. When it comes down to it, it really is all about who you know.

Conclusion

Employee referrals are an unparalleled source when it comes to recruiting top quality candidates for your organization. The quality of employee referrals is reflected in their time and cost efficacy, higher conversion and retention rates, and likelihood to be a better culture fit. When searching for employee referrals, turn to your network – utilizing your company’s employee referral program or sourcing from your social network can yield an unmatched talent pool. In the midst of fighting the War for Talent, trust in Blue Signal as your partner in the process and for industry-focused tips.

How To: Negotiate a Flexible Schedule During a Job Interview

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Updated research shows that 55% of global businesses offer some capacity for remote work. Since the pandemic, workers have been redefining work/life balance and targeting opportunities with a flexible schedule. It has now become extremely important for companies to loosen the reins on what a typical employee’s work schedule and location look like. 

Remote work, hybrid schedules, increased and/or more relaxed PTO options, and unconventional working hours are just a few types of common flexible schedules job seekers are looking for in today’s job market. It’s critical for employers to cater to these common requests and present job opportunities as negotiable when it comes to a flexible schedule. Doing so will also grab the attention of those passive candidates who currently have an ideal flexible schedule, and aren’t looking elsewhere for fear of not having that same flexibility in a new role. For those looking to make a career move but will require an atypical schedule or work environment, we’ve laid out a few ground rules on how to tackle the discussion with your hiring manager. Read on for tips on how to sway the conversation in the right direction and negotiate a flexible schedule during the interview process.

Negotiate a Flexible Schedule - Make A Plan

Make a Plan:

The first step in the process is to map out a detailed plan to present to the company and/or hiring manager you’re interviewing with. Start by reflecting on your personal must-haves and differentiating between your nice-to-haves when it comes to the flexible schedule you want. Next, clearly map out how this flexible schedule would work logistically. Be prepared with an answer for all common situations or questions that may arise. When building your case, make sure to gather personal data and specific experiences to share. These will give real-life examples of how and why you’d be successful in this type of flexible schedule. Also, be sure to ask yourself if what you’re proposing makes or breaks whether you accept the role. If a flexible schedule is a “nice-to-have,” be sure you aren’t presenting it as an ultimatum. When drawing up your plan, be sure to compare your request to the insight you gather through past interview discussions. Then prepare for questions/concerns based on those findings. 

Negotiate a Flexible Schedule - Prepare to Compromise

Prepare to Compromise:

After you process what terms in your work schedule and expectations are must-haves and what are nice-to-haves, start preparing to compromise. In most negotiations, the end result will tend to include some sort of halfway point between both parties. Prepare for what you’re willing to give up so you don’t end up agreeing to terms you aren’t happy with. Though you’ll be hoping your ideal flexible schedule can be achieved, go into the conversation with a few revisions to the proposal in your back pocket. We suggest preparing at least two alternative options to present. These will be useful in case the initial ask is too far off from the company's standard routine/comfort zone. If the employer is skeptical, a great compromise strategy is to suggest an initial trial period. This helps set both parties at ease. It gives you the opportunity to prove your ability by showing how successful you can be working a flexible schedule. With this deal, the employer won’t feel any pressure to commit to a permanent change.

Assess the Situation

Assess the Situation

Your next step in preparation should be to assess the situation and evaluate who you're negotiating with. Does the company you’re applying for embrace forward-thinking principles that align with a flexible schedule? Or do they encourage the traditional 9 to 5 work schedule? When the floor opens up for you to ask questions, take advantage of diving deeper into this topic. Present strategic questions to be answered that will give you further insight into their working culture and outlook. Questions surrounding what the typical working day looks like, whether you will be given portable equipment/computer, if you’ll be required to access emails outside of the office, as well as what it’s like interacting with team members and cross-functional departments. These questions usually lead to insightful responses from the interviewer that you can dissect. 

Another topic that will help you gain further insight is asking about COVID-19 protocol. See how the company handled moving to a remote or flexible schedule. Ask how this may have changed their outlook on work, and the success it may have had for some departments. In most cases, the hiring manager’s facial expressions, tone, and body language will tell the whole story.

Negotiate a Flexible Schedule - Present the Discussion

Present the Discussion: 

Be absolutely sure to only present or mention the discussion around a flexible schedule after you receive an offer letter. This will ensure there is no animosity or negative inclinations when the employer is making their final hiring decision. When presenting your case, clearly map out what the options would look like. Ensure you're communicating your ask in a confident and positive way. Touch on how this flexible schedule will benefit them as an employer and as a company. This will help shift the focus from your personal needs. 

As mentioned before, this is the time to use tangible data. Prove how you’ll be successful in an unconventional working environment. With any negotiation, remember to stay practical, not emotional. Leave your ego at the door. Don’t let pushback or skepticism throw your confidence. Keep a level head throughout the discussion and continue working toward a result you’ll both be happy with. In closing, reassure your continued commitment to the company. Share your appreciation for the job offer, and excitement to be successful in the role. Afterward, consider sending a thank you note!  

Confirm the Consensus in Writing

Confirm the Consensus in Writing:

Though we’re sure companies will have the best intentions in mind, it is always important to get the discussion result in writing. You never know what kind of communication can get caught behind the scenes. It’s always best to cover your bases. A great way to do this is to kindly ask them to update the offer letter. Have them include the flexible schedule agreement you came to in your discussion. This protects both you and the company as it will include terms and conditions like initial trial periods and timelines. This will set expectations for progress reports down the line to discuss how it is going. This means no one will be caught off guard when the follow-up discussion is presented. Your manager will also stay diligent in monitoring how your flexible schedule is working throughout that trial time. 

The typical working environment of 9 to 5 in the office is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Though it is still possible for a company to reject the idea of working remotely or offering flexible hours. Be prepared for this outcome and, if it happens, don’t get discouraged. This is why mapping out your must-haves early on in the process is important. This will help everyone come to a decision that they’ll be confident in long term. If you’re unable to reach an agreement and a flexible schedule is on your must-have list, it’s most likely not a great fit overall. In the end, the most important thing is to trust your gut. Understand your needs when it comes to choosing your next employer. As always, reach out to Blue Signal for any further guidance on how to facilitate conversations with hiring managers and negotiate terms that are beneficial to both yourself and a potential employer.

Recruiting Across Different Generations

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The Generational Divide: Recruiting Employees Across Different Generations

Today's workforce currently includes four generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z. With so many differing ideals and motivators, avoiding conflict and fostering cohesion between these age groups is essential. To create a robust and diverse workplace, examine your recruitment process, job advertising, employee benefits offerings, and internal culture to ensure that you’re attracting and retaining the best talent.

 

What Differentiates the Four Generations Found in the Workforce Today?

Generations are demographic groups arranged by birth years that are often defined and affected by significant cultural or historical events within their lifetimes. For example, the Greatest Generation (born in 1901 – 1924) lived through the Great Depression and World War II, whereas Baby Boomers (born in 1946 – 1964) had the 60s counterculture, civil rights movements, and the Vietnam War that set the tone within their lifetimes.

Technology and the internet are significant factors for the four most recent generations currently in the workforce. Boomers adopted technology as older adults, while Gen X (born in 1965 – 1980) was the first to have access to personal computers. Meanwhile, Millennials (born in 1981 – 1996) and Gen Z (born in 1997-2012) are "digital natives" who have had internet access for most, if not all, of their lives.

Differentiating the Four Generations

Recruiting Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z Talent

When setting up your digital recruitment strategy to attract diverse and talented employees, you'll want to reach your target audience where they are and keep job seekers' goals in mind while marketing the position to candidates. For generations across the board, you can feel free to forgo print media. Boomers might not be digital natives, but most have smartphones, and many are active social media users.

In addition to platforms like LinkedIn and third-party job boards, consider mobile and SMS advertising. Using various media tactics and communication channels such as social media goes a long way toward maximizing your recruiting potential across different generations.

 

Best Practices for Advertising Jobs & Benefits to Multigenerational Candidates

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to enticing candidates with job descriptions and benefits, certain perks attract some age groups more than others. Appealing to job seekers by their generation can help you advertise your position and communicate to potential hires with exactly what your company has to offer.

Advertising Jobs to the Four Generations

Use the following list as a general guide to what each generation finds appealing in terms of work, company culture, and benefits:

Baby Boomers

Less concerned about company culture, most Boomers want to know about day-to-day duties and how their experience can contribute to the organization. They like to hear about the why behind decisions, and how the results of their actions will support company success. These job seekers are looking for stability, good healthcare benefits, and the potential for flexible hours as they get closer to retirement.

Generation X

Most Generation X candidates will be looking for growth opportunities as well as professional development and clear paths to promotion. Work-life balance will also be important as job seekers in this generation may be caring for aging parents or children. Healthcare and good retirement benefits have strong appeal for this group.

Millennials

Company culture and ethics are important to this age group. Most Millennials want to work for businesses they can believe in and trust. They thrive on social connection and want to work for companies with strong internal culture. Perks like working from home, free lunches, and gym memberships, in addition to affordable healthcare and flexible PTO, attract this generation.

Generation Z (Zoomers)

Much like Millennials, the ethics of your company will be important to Gen Z. They'll want the same perks as their Millennial counterparts and typically thrive in all-digital environments or work-from-home setups. Conversely, they will not pay much mind to company culture, as long as they are treated as equals amongst peers.

Hiring managers might not be able to offer benefits that appeal across all of these demographics. However, including the benefits and perks your company offers, providing insight into day-to-day work tasks, and adding an overview of your office culture in your recruitment efforts goes a long way toward attracting a diverse workforce.

 

Hiring the Right Candidate

When looking to add a diverse mix of people and generations to your company, the bottom line is that you want the best of the best in terms of talent. While tailoring your recruitment advertising to attract multigenerational candidates is essential, at the end of the day, you want the best person for the job. So regardless of a candidate's specific generation, look for the following traits and concepts when making a hire:

Preparation 

Regardless of a candidate's generation, job seekers should be informed and ready to talk about your company. Not only should they be able to give detailed answers about the business, its background, and its purpose, but good candidates will also have company-specific questions prepared for the interviewer.

Zeal

Look for job seekers who are genuinely interested in the position. Have they done any research into your industry? How are they keeping up with trends and technologies in this area? Employers can train skills, but you can't teach enthusiasm. Therefore, candidates who display eagerness and a drive to succeed in their field or career are ideal.

Suitability

Emphasizing company culture in an interview has two main benefits. First, noting the values and mission of your company will strongly appeal to Millennial and Gen Z candidates. Describing these dynamics and seeing how a candidate reacts can be very telling. Second, specific, detailed interview questions about how the candidate embodies or believes in these same values and mission of the business can help you determine which candidate is the best fit for your team. All the better if the candidate has questions of their own regarding culture, allowing you further insight into what their role would be in the team’s structure if brought on.

Initiative

Beyond training, potential employees need to be very self-motivated to fulfill their roles. Working from home and performing tasks with little supervision is the new normal, and employees will oftentimes have to figure things out for themselves. Asking interview questions about how candidates have taken initiative in the past or have thrived in a role with low supervision can help you make an informed hiring choice.

 

Best Practices to Support a Diverse Team

To support a multigenerational workforce, managers need to encourage a proactive office environment that promotes inclusion. By catering to different communication styles, offering two-way mentorships, emphasizing respect, and avoiding certain assumptions and stereotypes, companies can reduce conflicts due to different age groups in the workplace.

Support Diverse Generations Team

Varied Communication Channels

One factor that differs among all four generations is their communication preferences. For example, Baby Boomers often favor calls or face-to-face meetings, while many Millennials and Zoomers might prefer text or video chats. To bridge the gap and create a collaborative workspace, offer a variety of in-person meetings, calls, chats, email, and social media so everyone can use their favorite communication methods or explore new options.

Reverse Mentoring

Setting up two-way mentorships among people in different age groups has several benefits. The concept centers on both parties sharing what they know with one another without a power struggle. By pairing an older worker with a younger employee, one might gain insights from the other's extensive experience while inspiring a more tech-savvy approach to problem-solving.

Respect

Respecting workers regardless of age should be the cornerstone of your workplace culture. Acknowledging that both Boomers and Millennials have a wealth of knowledge and talent to bring to the table can break stereotypes. Placing value evenly among Generation X and Zoomers can encourage collaboration. Treating all generations as equals will strengthen relationships among colleagues.

Avoid Assumptions

Assuming what people want, based either on your own generational view or preconceived notions about others, can throw off the balance of your workplace. Instead of guessing that a younger worker might want more vacation time as a benefit rather than working from home, simply ask them. As an overarching rule of thumb, by talking with employees and finding out about which incentives/benefits, processes, or communication styles they prefer, you are more likely to retain your staff and avoid leaning into stereotypes based on age.

Mix Things Up

Fight the urge to group younger employees together with the assumption that they'll work well together or get along better. By allowing your office to settle into a natural mix, with younger and older employees working side by side, you can encourage communication and collaboration. Let workers find what they have in common on their own and discover the strengths that each individual and group brings to the table.

 

Beyond the Generation Gap: Life & Career Stages

Some studies suggest that the four generations' values and preferences really aren't that different, despite popular opinion on the matter. In fact, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) suggests that career and life stages play a more significant role in workplace relationships and management.

For example, apartment dwelling Zoomers and Gen Xers who are single with no kids may have more in common, along with similar goals and needs, than a Boomer or Millennial with a mortgage and a family. A person's life stage is another way to define someone beyond their generation.

Similarly, Boomers who are changing careers and Zoomers fresh out of college both have to figure out how to navigate modern hiring processes and online interviews successfully. These employees may also seek out promotions to advance their new careers and increase their salaries. While appealing to the wants and needs of each generation can help recruitment, similar life and career stages often transcend differences between age groups in the workplace.

 

Resources for Recruiting Generations Across the Spectrum

Whether you’re looking to hire Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Gen Z, or just need the best of the best, leverage a recruiter. Recruiting firms are experts at navigating the constantly changing landscape of the job market. It’s a recruiter’s duty to represent people based on skill, looking beyond gender, generation, race, ethnicity, etc. When looking to create a robust and diverse workplace, consider engaging with a firm like Blue Signal to truly strategize your recruitment process, job advertising, employer branding, and so much more to attract and retain the best talent – no matter their generation.

 

About our Contributor, Hazel Bennett: Hazel Bennett is a freelance writer and blogger. She has a degree in communications and lives in Northeastern Ohio. Hazel loves writing about numerous topics and showcasing her expertise with words.

6 Ways to Attract Remote Workers

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COVID-19 has forever changed the workplace in addition to how, when, and where people work. Companies have come to the realization that remote work is not just smart, strategic, and sustainable, but it improves their bottom line and provides benefits to their overall staff.

Before the pandemic, only 5.2% of the U.S. workforce worked from home full time. Today 58% are working remotely. According to a recent FlexJobs survey, 65% of 2,000 pandemic remote workers would prefer to stay fully remote after the pandemic, and 58% say they would “absolutely” look for a new job if they weren’t allowed to continue working remotely in their current position.

Having a significant number of “work from anywhere” employees brings new challenges for benefits design and administration. In addition to traditional benefits, like health insurance and vacation time, remote workers and job hunters seeking remote work opportunities are adding items to their checklist of qualities they’re looking for in a new job. If you plan on hiring remote workers for your team, follow these 6 tips to attract new talent.

1. Set Clear Guidelines About Working Hours

Since remote workers don’t necessarily have to be living near a home office location, businesses can hire candidates from different time zones. This is great for sourcing talent outside of the local pool of candidates. However, that does open the door to another set of problems, specifically ensuring coverage during hours of operation. Managers may find candidates that have a flexible schedule and can wake up early or stay up late in other time zones to meet with a team located somewhere else, but this might not always be the case.

For organizations to stay competitive, leaders need to partner with their Human Resources teams to establish a clear set of rules regarding when people can and should be working online. It’s not just for employees based in different time zones, flexible working hours are also becoming relevant for job hunters. They want to be able to pick up their kids from school or make appointments during the day. Organizing clear expectations surrounding flex time can help companies attract the best talent.

 

2. Continuously Review Compensation Plans

Compensation, pay, earnings, they’re all the same thing: money. People still need to make a good wage in order to survive. With prices rising on everyday items, as well as housing and food, pay is something all job hunters are watching. Properly compensated employees are key to a company’s success.

Although there are many factors that go into how employees are paid, businesses that take pay away from employees are often tossed into the people’s court of opinion. For instance, DoorDash received negative press after the company took tips away from their delivery drivers. Google also received backlash after cutting pay for their remote workers.

In order to avoid risking an organization’s reputation by shortchanging employees, companies need to review their compensation plans periodically to ensure that they meet the standards of the current economic climate. As many states raise the minimum wage, remote workers are able to determine the level of pay they should receive for their work.

 

3. Invest in the Technology That Employees Need

Aside from proper pay, candidates need the right tools to do their work. Individuals shouldn’t be expected to outfit themselves with the technology they need to do their job, so companies need to keep the cost of technology in mind when they establish a budget for their remote workers.

If in-office staff need two monitors for doing their work, then remote workers should be offered this option as well. If an individual needs a Wi-Fi booster in their home, that’s something else offices would normally provide for in-person workers, and need to provide for remotes as well. There is a baseline that managers can set for what will and will not be provided to their employees. This should be established by management so that everyone is held accountable.

For remote workers, there needs to be a technology support system. Leaving them high and dry with a broken device can lead not only to frustration but possible turnover. A job seeker may ask a hiring team about their technology support for remote work in an interview, and having prepared answers will help give that person an understanding of what they can expect from the role.

Infographic containing a list of 6 ways to attract remote workers

4. Treat Everyone as Individuals

In today’s climate, job seekers are digging deeper and looking beyond pay, technology, and schedules when it comes to making a career move. They want to know how they’ll be treated as an individual. It can be easy in a remote setting to group everyone together in endless meetings and not touch base with people for one-on-one sessions. However, this can cause problems for both employers and employees.

Each person on the team has a unique set of expectations, concerns, and experiences. At the same time, each person has their own way of doing things and interacting with other team members. Managers need to consider that much like a traditional office setting, remote teams need to have individual sessions to get people’s perspectives. This isn’t just for performance conversations or project check-ins; this can also be a way for leadership to gauge how effective they are supporting their teams and discover what the company can be doing better for employees. After all, individuals are what really power successful businesses – and we should treat them as such.

 

5. Consider Different Levels of Stability

Everyone has their own unique work style and a preference in regard to how much they want to work. Some employees thrive working multiple jobs, while others prefer to work a single, steady nine-to-five. Companies need to think about how their current job openings can meet the standards of different types of remote workers. As flexibility and freedom become more important to new hires, businesses need to rethink their job descriptions.

Perhaps it’s breaking one position into a few that can be outsourced to freelancers. Maybe it’s combining two different part-time jobs into one for a full-time position. Workers are being more thoughtful in their approach to returning to work, so investigating open slots to find these opportunities before making new hires will help companies operate more efficiently in the long run. Recall that these openings are meant for remote workers so consider those unique requirements as well for attracting the best person for the position.

 

6. Create an Interactive Business Culture

All work and no play doesn’t make the job any fun, and that’s something worth considering when hiring remote employees. How will you build a culture around people who are located around the globe? Will you video conference with everyone daily? Are people going to have to report to the office once a month?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help organizations build a collaborative and fun virtual work environment. When potential candidates are reviewing a business, they want to know the values of it, and how everyone interacts with one another. While it is quite different pulling off culture in a completely digital world, there are many ways to succeed in doing so. Whether it’s an in-person event or a slated video conference every month, take time to relax with your team rather than talk shop.

Much like businesses would’ve hosted in-office events like holiday parties or other celebrations, leaders need to think about translating this into the virtual world. Virtual events build comradery within a team and give the opportunity for people who don’t normally interact with one another the chance to do so. New hires rely on these events in order to network and feel part of the company. When hosting these types of events, photograph them to showcase on social media and other channels, so job seekers can see an insider’s view too.

Job seekers are looking for many things when searching for a new position. But as remote workers, companies need to get creative and strategic with their offerings in order to stand out. By following the six ideas mentioned above, organizations can successfully pull in the best talent possible for their teams, and more effectively retain their remote workers. If you need additional help recruiting top remote talent, reach out to Blue Signal today.

About Our Contributor, Sara Carter:

Sara is the co-founder of Enlightened Digital, entrepreneur, and Bostonian. She spends her days writing code, chasing her children and/or dog, and perfecting her brownie recipe.

About Enlightened Digital:

Enlightened Digital is a digital magazine dedicated to the top tech and business news, updates, and analyses from around the web. Their aim is also to explore how these changes affect business growth and professional development for women. They believe that delivering objective facts and figures on the newest releases and events in the tech world no longer suffices to keep consumers informed. As new technology and updates hurl businesses faster and faster into a future that seems less predictable, Enlightened Digital will try to make sense of not only what is happening, but why, and how it impacts our lives.