The workforce shift is undeniable: from the career changes to return to office, from remote work to global, flexible teams, the trends we see today will permanently alter worker expectations.
The tech industry has long led the way for hybrid approaches to work. All eyes are on these companies of all sizes as the “return to office†discussion becomes the forefront of many employer-employee relationships, LinkedIn conversations, and media speculation.
Established startups have a real opportunity to embrace the shift in worker expectations in a big way, and not just in return to office policies. I
“The Great Resignation†or â€The Great Reshuffle: Understanding What Employees WantÂ
From my observations, during this time, coined the “Great Resignation†(or “Great ReshuffleOpens a new window †for some), many candidates are seeking an upgrade or change in their career entirely. As vice president of Human Resources at a company growing rapidly amid this time, I see candidates at all levels for the full spectrum of job opportunities. Those with excellent work experience and valuable skillsets typically have several options. They’re looking to enhance three or four variables at a time. Â
Sure, enhanced compensation is an easy answer, but qualified candidates seeking a new role have more complex interests. I’ve heard many say they want access to leadership, career growth, family-friendly culture and diverse & inclusive environments. Further, some seek a change in company size, a new industry, or to build up their startup experience.
Interestingly, remote-only isn’t the most significant factor. Many job seekers (and our current team members) have expressed a desire for the flexibility to work remotely and in the office. Candidates are broadening their search areas. I have seen an increase in candidates that focus on roles at tech companies headquartered in Silicon Valley, with remote work available despite living outside of California. Â
Fully Remote Work, Fully In-office, or Hybrid?Â
One thing is clear: there is no one-size-fits-all decision between remote vs. office work, and it’s crucial that employers glean perspectives from their team members. It isn’t just job seekers who are watching your company’s decision on the future of in-person work.
On the other hand, for employees with responsibilities like children or elderly parents, many are opting for fully remote, with a handful who want to return to an office close by as it provides a quiet workspace outside the home. Â
So, we embrace what we like to call “remote-centric†and take a hybrid approach to accommodate the various needs and life stages of our employee population. I anticipate individual preferences may evolve, with people opting in and out of the office as time, responsibilities and proximity permit. Â
See More: HR Teams Can Survive and Thrive in a Remote-Only or Hybrid Work Environment
Flexibility: The Most Meaningful Perk, Globally
More and more workers are prioritizing flexibility over other perks. But, what does it mean to be flexible? Is it enough to be able to bow out a few minutes early to swing by an event, or is it logging any hours, any days that work best for you?
At Trifacta, flexibility means having the option to choose where you work and the ability to plan your day according to the needs of your team. When team members don’t need to overlap, individuals can organize their day according to when they have time to focus or get their best work done. To support asynchronous work, we offer various communication tools and channels where team members can readily pick up where someone else left off. Â
Having a global workforce is exciting, as it opens up possibilities to learn and grow around the world. It offers a chance to incorporate different cultures, diversity of thought and new ways of working. We see a more mobile workforce, people moving between cities and countries, experiencing new surroundings while working alongside the same people they love.
Tools for Getting and Keeping Talent With Data
From recruiting to retaining top talent, human resources departments have embraced a number of technologies and tools to help. And, we continue to hear that data is a top currency across the board. That applies in HR, too. Wrapping your arms around that level of data is easy to do with low code/no-code options that work visually.Â
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Recruiting
Most companies have many competitors going after the same talent but only use basic information to inform and direct their recruiting efforts. Companies can gain a big advantage over their competitors by pulling together internal datasets on what jobs, skills, compensation and locations are open and mapping those data to external data sets on job seekers, demographic trends, hot locations, salary trends, benefit preferences, etc. Â
This is a classic use of data preparation tools to combine and transform these multiple datasets for HR analysis and action. The combined data can inform HR on how to structure job descriptions and benefits, where to focus recruiting efforts (e.g., maybe Boise has become a hot spot for IT or creative roles, and open jobs should be promoted both on the ground there and in virtual Boise groups), and more. On a strategic level, HR can look further out to see where potential office expansions should or could be located.
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Retention and engagement
At larger companies, it can be very difficult to gauge things like employee engagement or how well company benefits are understood and utilized. For both examples, there are often thousands of signals that could be tracked and analyzed to give a clearer picture, but the ‘big data’ challenge usually means it’s not done. One example used by many large enterprises comes in the form of healthcare and/or benefits navigation. Â
Top Reasons To Make a Career Change
As we continually onboard new team members, we ask what brought them through our virtual doors. The top reason? The people.
Even remotely, especially remotely, candidates want to work with good people. Knowing that the water cooler chat is limited, job seekers are even more conscious of if they “click†with their potential manager and team. Building the trust necessary for a high-performance team is a worthy challenge in person, and it’s critical with remote teams.
The second reason we hear from new team members is the potential for career growth. Of course, this means different things to different people at companies of different sizes. We’ve found people are often intentional in their desire to work at a B2B SaaS startup. No matter what the career path might look like, whether it’s well established or possibly requires a little creative off-roading, candidates need to see the support and a way forward for their personal growth.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, job seekers want to see a commitment to diversity and inclusion. It’s not an item that is a simple checkbox; it’s an ongoing process, a commitment to listening, learning, growing and implementing.
How are you leveraging changing employee expectations to hire and retain talent? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .