While the pandemic has presented significant challenges to our businesses, our people and our clients and customers, it has also resulted in some positive movements for the world of work. In particular, the acceptance of remote working as not only feasible, but also financially viable for many organisations is progress that almost everyone has welcomed.

While flexible employment options were increasing in a pre-pandemic world, the pace of change last year was significant. In fact, we took a deeper dive into how demand for remote workers had changed since the outbreak last year – and the results are staggering. In an analysis of job adverts, we found that the number of roles advertised with ‘remote working’ options almost tripled during the pandemic, up 199% from January 2020 to April 2021.

Job seeker interest in these vacancies has also risen throughout the course of the pandemic, with March 2021 reporting the highest number of clicks for jobs advertised with a work-from-home option in the last 12 months. This demand for remote working was reported at a time when restrictions in the UK were continuing to be relaxed, highlighting that working from home will be the normal for many in a post-Covid world.

Clearly, desire for remote staff is on the up – and will, in our view, continue to grow as we emerge from the pandemic into the new normal way of work. But getting in front of the right people with these new job opportunities is going to be a challenge – one that traditional hiring practices in their current format arguably won’t be able to meet. With such a significant proportion of global talent pools now broadening their horizons and actively seeking flexible working away from the office environment, how job adverts are written and the language used when engaging potential hires has evolved. So, what adjustments are needed to attract these remote workers?

Top tips for sourcing remote workers
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to effective remote worker attraction, there are a number of recommendations that will help hiring teams tailor their approach:

• Use your words wisely: The content of a job advert has long been important, after all, the words used can be the difference between engaging a high potential individual and possibly losing the perfect employee. Language nuances can present a significant challenge when highlighting the appeal of a role, for example. As a case in point, the term ‘flexible’ can be interpreted in different ways. To some it simply means the option for flexible hours while others may view it as the ability to decide where and when work is delivered. Make sure that the language being used is truly reflective of how a role is expected to be delivered.
• Broaden your horizons: One of the significant benefits of remote working for employers is that hiring isn’t restricted to geography. Borderless recruitment is now much easier and this needs to be taken advantage of now before the competition beat you to it. Looking beyond the usual routes for talent and seeking expert guidance that’s backed by robust data showcasing where those with the skills you need can be found is a crucial step to building the new foundations of your talent acquisition strategy.
• Don’t forget the remote culture: While the appeal of remote working has increased, it’s important not to overlook the fact that we are all people and new hires are looking for the human interaction equivalent in a home working role. The ability to bring the personality of your business to life in a virtual world will be important to potential new recruits, so ensure your employer branding highlights the virtual culture of your business.
• Define the job, not the candidate: Remote working has numerous benefits for the workplace, one of which is the positive impact it can have on diversity and equality. With where, when and how a role is delivered now less important, defining what an ideal candidate ‘looks like’ is no longer needed in job descriptions or adverts. If we’re to be truly flexible, the focus should remain on what the main priorities of the job are. The individual can then define how they can deliver against the job requirements – whether that’s in line with the employer’s current expectations or not is less relevant than simply ensuring the job in question is completed.
• Be prepared to adapt: Fluidity is the normal. Never before has it been so important for an organisation and its talent to flex and adapt with the wider economy. This ability to evolve also carries across the recruitment process. While many years ago it would have been common to see a job advert published in print or online until the role is filled, this approach is no longer viable. If hiring teams aren’t getting the right results quickly, a new tack needs to be implemented. It’s important to be able to assess in real time what impact an advert is having on your hiring needs and switch things up quickly if results aren’t being delivered. If you’re hiring for a remote position and expanding the scope of your recruitment beyond the usual remit, a programmatic approach to talent attraction that allows you to not only have the data analytics up front to know what avenues will be the most valuable, but also access the real time statistics to allow for speedy changes in hiring tactics, will be more cost effective than a ‘wait and see’ approach.

Staying ahead of the curve
There’s no doubt that the pandemic has created an uptick in not only an employer’s willingness to offer work from home employment choices, but also demand from talent pools for this option. As more companies continue to adopt work from home policies on a more permanent basis, it’s becoming clear that how hiring teams attract these new virtual employees needs to constantly change. Staying ahead of this curve now will be crucial to how well prepared businesses are in the new world of work.