Following the Covid-19 global pandemic, 2020 will be known as the year that remote working became the norm.

While permanent remote working remains impossible for some industries, others are considering the benefits of operating remotely for the foreseeable future.

There are undoubtedly advantages of being in an office environment and having face-to-face interaction with your colleagues; however, working remotely can also deliver a range of benefits, particularly when it comes to recruiting.

Whether you’re building a case for permanent remote working or looking to make the most of recruiting while working from home, here are five of the positive effects that remote working can have on your hiring:

1. It allows you to widen your talent pool

If your company is considering implementing a long-term remote working strategy, you are no longer limited to just employing local talent; the world is truly your oyster!

If your employees can work anywhere, you can broaden your search to attract candidates from further afield. This is particularly important for smaller businesses that perhaps don’t have a well-known brand or are based in less populated areas; it gives them access to a whole new pool of talent and can make sourcing niche skill-sets much easier.

(Webrecruit has launched national recruitment advertising campaigns to make sure that your job advert appears in searches to candidates across the country, rather than just showing in one location – find out more).

Just remember that if there is a possibility that you will return to office-based working in the future, you will need to clearly communicate this within your job advert so candidates are aware before they apply.

2. Remote working options can attract more candidates

Flexible working has long been in demand; in fact, 92% of Millennials identify flexibility as a top priority when job hunting.

However, it’s not just this group that desires flexible and remote working options; those returning from parental leave, people with disabilities or anyone with needs that might not necessarily suit a typical 9-5 office environment can all benefit from remote working.

By offering flexible hours or the option to work from home, this can help to attract a more diverse range of candidates who previously may not have considered employment opportunities with your company.

3. The recruitment process becomes easier for applicants

Interviewing for other roles when you’re already working a full-time job can be difficult. No-one wants to have to lie to their employer to attend interviews but also disclosing that you’re seeking opportunities elsewhere may not reflect favourably on you.

However, when working remotely, candidates can be interviewed online via video chat, meaning that they can attend the interview on their lunch break without having to take time out from their existing role.

4. It can improve the wellbeing of your employees

Working from home can improve the wellbeing of your team. In fact, 77% of talent leaders found that flexible working improves work-life balance, in LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends Report.

With the removal of the daily commute, employees are given the gift of time; whether they use it to have an extra hour of sleep, spend more time with their children or go for a run, remote working encourages more of a work-life balance.

This improved work-life balance also means that employees are happier when working; in fact, 54% of talent leaders cited that it encouraged retention.

However, there is a danger when working from home that your employees will end up working extra hours. To reap the benefits of improved wellbeing and retention, encourage your team to close their laptops when the working day is finished, rather than blurring the lines between work and home.

5. It can reduce your operating costs

Consider the costs associated with working in your office: rent, cleaning, utilities, tea and coffee…it all adds up. By operating remotely, you’re not exposed to these fixed costs and able to allocate this budget to other areas.

With technology becoming more important than ever as employees communicate digitally, many companies are using these savings to invest in cloud based technology to improve efficiencies and streamline processes. For example, we’ve seen an increase in companies looking to introduce recruitment software to help their team process additional applications they’ve received.

 

Considering introducing recruitment technology to your business? Book your demo of Webrecruit ATS recruitment software.