101: Hiring for in-office positions
Most managers will agree hiring and retaining talented employees is more difficult than it used to be. The labor market is tight, costs make it harder to offer attractive benefit packages, and of course, most professionals became well acquainted with remote work during the coronavirus pandemic and generally enjoyed it. Aside from extreme situations where sullen employees have outright refused to return to the office, most employers understand the desire to spend at least part of the work week in a home office.
But what about the countless positions that, for one reason or another, don’t lend themselves to ongoing remote work? They’re a harder sell these days, but it’s not impossible to entice people to in-office positions.
Be descriptive. There’s no reason to be cagey in the job descriptions you post. Explain why a position is in-person, writes recruiting specialist Tony Lewis for human resources solutions company Insperity. Lewis suggests highlighting the crucial aspects of the job, such as collaboration and hands-on tasks. “Potential candidates will need to understand the unique value of the in-person job,” Lewis says.
Compress. A compressed workweek is one in which a typical number of full-time hours – 35 or 40 – are worked over fewer than five days (generally four). While longer days aren’t for everyone, plenty of job candidates would happily work 10 hours over four days to have that fifth weekday off, and they may be more productive. DriveResearch reported in May that 77% of people working four-day weeks reported increased productivity.
Screen. Take time to find people who want the same thing you do. Working in an office is not a downside for everyone. Talent company Apollo Technical in August reported just 13% of people surveyed prefer to work from home all the time. Nearly the same number of people favor always working in an office setting. This information is easily gleaned in a phone or video interview to screen candidates. Don’t be afraid to be choosy. Scaring off the wrong hire isn’t a bad thing.
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