PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- While there is
a trend among some larger companies of bringing remote workers back
into corporate offices, candidates still expect work from home
options, according to new data from the MRINetwork 2017
Recruiter Sentiment Study. Increased collaboration, creativity,
mentoring and innovation are employers' intent, but they may be
alienating top talent in the executive, managerial and professional
labor market - a sector that is candidate-driven and challenged by
talent shortages across many industries.
The refocus on in-office work environments comes at a time when
many candidates demand work from home options during the interview
process. According to the Study, which polled 265
MRINetwork executive recruiters worldwide, along with 100
employers and 263 candidates across the U.S., 68 percent of
recruiters and 53 percent of employers state candidates expect to
work remotely somewhat often to very often. Over half of surveyed
candidates say that having a work from home option is somewhat to
extremely important as they consider a new job.
"The U.S. unemployment rate is 2.8 percent within the executive,
managerial and professional sector, so companies that fail to
provide work from home options are definitely missing out on key
talent," observes an MRINetwork recruiter that participated
in the survey. "In-demand candidates have choices. The more
specific or rare their skill set is, their options increase,
especially if they work in a field where competition for candidates
is fierce. If they don't want to relocate or work five-day weeks in
an office environment, they may turn down a solid offer if they
can't work remotely."
Technology has made communication, collaboration, security and
other aspects of integrating remote employees easier, allowing
companies to implement this strategy to attract and retain top
talent. As one MRINetwork recruiter notes, "Providing people
with the opportunity to work remotely - whether full-time or a few
days a week - allows you to access a larger talent pool, while
offering flexibility to those who don't want a long commute,
or simply just need to be more accessible to their families."
Delivering this type of work-life balance is invaluable as a
retention strategy, because employees may hesitate to take a job
with another company if they don't have the ability to work
remotely."
Simply corralling people back into the office doesn't
necessarily ensure collaboration. "The work environment and culture
have to support and encourage working together, sharing ideas and
rewarding innovative thinking," says Nancy
Halverson, general manager for MRINetwork.
Companies must formulate a well thought out plan to successfully
implement a work from home program. "This necessitates drawing up
formal guidelines and finding the right technological tools, as
well as hiring people that can thrive in a remote working
environment," says Halverson. "Once in place, the program requires
oversight and tweaking to make it sustainable and successful.
Ultimately, to gain the full benefits you have to make sure remote
workers are fully engaged and feel just as much a part of the team
as your in-office staff."
"The ability to work from home is here to stay," concludes
Halverson. "Collaboration and innovation are vitally important, but
technology is continually advancing, empowering remote workers to
be indispensable contributors to their in-office teams. Ultimately
smart employers will find their workforce is stronger and more
effective when it creates an environment generating productivity
from both work from home and in office workers."
About the MRINetwork Recruiter Sentiment Study: The
MRINetwork 2017 Recruiter Sentiment Study is based on a
web-based survey conducted in June
2017 by independent research firm, The Martec Group, with a
total of 265 MRINetwork recruiters, 100 employers, and 263
candidates.
This is the 11th edition of the study. Parties interested in
viewing the most recent report can download the study at
http://www.mrinetwork.com/media/304094/2017hiringsentimentstudy.pdf
About MRINetwork®:
Management Recruiters
International, Inc., branded as MRINetwork®, is one of the
largest executive search and recruitment organizations in the
world. A subsidiary of CDI Corp. (NYSE:CDI), a provider of
engineering & information technology outsourcing solutions and
professional staffing in the U.S. and Canada, MRINetwork has approximately
400 offices spanning four continents. Visit MRINetwork at
www.mrinetwork.com. For franchising opportunities, visit
http://www.mrinetwork.com/franchising/franchising-info/.
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SOURCE MRINetwork