CIO of Workforce Logiq, providing strategic direction to the company’s industry-leading technology, analytics, and informatics solutions.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the workplace. While some organizations, especially tech and startup companies, have experimented with remote work options for years, work-from-home culture hadn't truly taken hold — until now.
Twitter is letting employees work from home "forever" if they wish. Nationwide Insurance announced the closing of five regional offices following a smooth transition to remote work during the pandemic. And 83% of workers surveyed by PwC in June said they prefer to work from home at least some of the time, even after Covid is no longer a concern.
As work environments fundamentally shift, organizations need to adjust their hiring and workforce management programs to take advantage of remote flexibility. And predictive intelligence and AI offers a critical edge in navigating the "new normal" and building and sustaining talent pipeline in this new era.
Not All Jobs Are 'Remote Ready'
While over half of today's jobs are compatible with remote work, many still require high levels of collaboration and aren't necessarily "remote ready." How do employers determine which roles would be most successful when staffed on-site? And for near or fully remote jobs, in which markets should employers look for talent, now that they're not confined to candidates based in the vicinity of office locations?
AI can help employers answer four critical questions before they make an investment in full-time or contingent talent:
1. How much collaboration and teamwork is usually required of this role? Would staffing it remotely impact one’s ability to perform?
2. Should this job be staffed fully remote, near remote with access to an existing office location, or am I better off staffing on-site?
3. Which market is the best to source talent for this role, based on the job requirements, supply and demand, salary profiles and local commuting patterns?
4. Which candidates in this market are most likely to engage so I don't spend time recruiting the wrong people, slowing the process down and missing out on the best candidates?
Imagine you're looking for a software engineer. You typically hire out of your local Boston market, given the supply of tech talent there is high. But since the cost of talent is usually higher and supply lower given increased competition for talent in major metro areas, you decide to explore your options and identify a strong candidate based in Greenville, South Carolina — a rising and less competitive hub for engineering talent. Because Greenville's salary costs are nearly 14% lower, you're tempted to staff the role remotely. But with software engineers typically needing to work closely with colleagues to brainstorm, troubleshoot and collaborate, are you confident that staffing remotely would set the team and organization up for success?
AI algorithms consider many factors: an organization's corporate culture, specific role requirements and industry and similar role benchmarks, as well as the willingness of candidates to be open to a new position, an unsolicited recruiting call and more. And in near real time, an AI-powered solution can recommend the best course of action for hiring that specific position. This eliminates the guesswork, which is critical in a hyperuncertain environment, especially considering a bad hiring decision can cost a business 30% of an employee's first-year earnings.
Just as employees can now work from anywhere, employers can hire from virtually any market and significantly expand their talent pool. Leveraging predictive intelligence enables organizations to compare how much staffing roles in specific markets and arrangements would cost while factoring in the quality of talent they would attract with each option.
The ability to hire from anywhere also provides organizations with an opportunity to overcome location bias and supercharge their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Employers that leverage AI and data can identify candidates likely to have diverse backgrounds and use that intel to build pipelines of talent with the right skill sets and from underrepresented communities. Cultivating a diverse workplace is critical as it exposes employees to new ideas, perspectives and cultures, which enhance the organization's ability to innovate, adapt and perform.
Beyond Technology: Building Connections In A Remote World
There are several other best practices companies should consider, in addition to investing in AI, to recruit, hire and manage top talent in this new world of remote work.
• Rethink the interview process: It's harder to pick up on nonverbal cues, establish a connection with candidates and get a true sense of who they are as people over video interviews than during in-person meetings. Get creative when developing interview prompts: Ask questions that uncover their personality, hobbies and work style so you understand more about them as individuals and whether they'll fit in with your company culture. Also, ask what they like — and don't like — about remote work arrangements to figure out if they'll thrive and collaborate well in this type of environment.
• Train managers on how to effectively lead teams virtually: Overseeing employees remotely brings unique challenges and requires specific skill sets. New training programs may need to be implemented to help executives and managers understand how they can best support employees, lead teams and boost productivity while their team members work from home. Everything from understanding the challenges employees face during remote work and establishing rules of engagement to how to boost morale, build rapport and foster transparency in a work-from-home environment should be covered and will help managers remove barriers that could inhibit an organization's success.
• Shift new hire onboarding programs: Offer employees in-depth training on the technologies they'll use daily to collaborate with colleagues. Set clear expectations around role requirements, proactive communication, and availability and responsiveness during and after work hours. Also, consider conducting skills assessments after each training session to measure and track learning and performance.
While some organizations are slowly transitioning back to the office, remote work cultures are here to stay. The tips and best practices outlined above can be the competitive edge employers need to build a reliable and sustainable talent pipeline, drive cost savings and take advantage of the benefits of remote flexibility in this new world of work.
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