The shift of post pandemic working environment.

The pandemic world irrevocably shifted the landscape of work, from most of us being 100% remote working, which was something many people adopted during the pandemic and have since adapted lifestyles and expectations towards this lifestyle set up.

However, we know, and have seen in reports, that hybrid and remote positions have been declining since 2020, with major brands such ASOS insisting on an increase of in-person meetings. This demands a shift in people’s lifestyles and whilst some embrace time in the office with colleagues, for some it can be a difficult adaptation, especially for those who have family life or other circumstances to work around now.

The 40% office mandate is something that we have seen some companies opt for and in the post pandemic world this has been a solution for many, however top insurance firms for example are unable to offer any remote working and want employees in the office full time.

What does this mean for SME recruitment?

We know that over 40% of job seekers are only considering hybrid working patterns with the firm expectation that they will only be in the office for 40% of the working week and we are seeing some candidates will not be put forward for roles demanding full time in the office.

It can be argued that an SME business needs a face to face working environment. Maintaining Company Culture is very important and fostering a strong company culture is crucial, which often relies on face-to-face interactions and informal communication. A hybrid model can dilute this culture, making it challenging to maintain employee engagement and a sense of belonging.

Then Collaboration and Communication is both essential for such business success, and this can be more complex in a hybrid environment. SMEs may find it difficult to facilitate seamless communication and knowledge sharing between remote and in-office employees.

However, on the contrary employees often deem it their right to have a hybrid working pattern and there is plenty of research to confirm an increase of productivity with hybrid working. In addition to this, we know that people that work in a hybrid pattern have a lower % of sickness and less absence in comparison to those who are in the office full-time work. So there are some advantages to the employer in offering such hybrid setups.

A key challenge with this divided opinion is when it comes to recruitment, there is % of clients that are wanting to get people back in the office on a full-time basis and are recruiting under these terms which has been met with some resistance. We see this problem sitting with the employer as demanding full time office set up and not offering a hybrid model can

lead to a disadvantage when coming to an offer of employment, especially for sought after candidates, often leaving clients at a disadvantage to other offers.

Advice for candidates and recruiters

Julie Mott, Howett Thorpe’s qualified and senior finance division specialises in recruiting top-tier accountancy professionals within Commerce and Industry shares her advice having experienced and heard both the client and candidates side to this recent hybrid working predicament.

Julie believes hybrid working is here to stay and as a business, if you are able to offer this to your future and existing employees it will help with staff retention and result in you having a better pick from a pool of talent in the shortlisting and selection process. After all, the most important factor has to be about finding the right person to fill a role. Especially if the business can cater to working from home with existing technologies and putting plans in place to ensure there is good moral and interaction between staff and teams. Julie believes a hybrid working model is no longer a ‘perk’ and more an expectation from candidates, particularly seeing as wages are not increasing at the same rate as the cost of living, meaning the hybrid model can help staff manage this gap..