Recruiting the ideal candidate for a job opening can sometimes feel like a big game of Where’s Waldo. You find yourself looking through a sea of look-alikes and distractions to find candidates that are the perfect fit and meet the requirements of the position. Searching within a small and commutable distance to the office has its challenges. The expansion of your geographical recruiting market may provide the opportunity to increase skills internally, build your recruiting brand, and reduce both labor and overhead costs.
COVID restrictions have forced many operations to move to a remote work environment. While it may have felt like a crash-course in learning to manage a remote team, new technologies and increased communication have led to successes in this new work environment. Companies are expanding and discussing how to offer more remote work opportunities to their employees.
Consider specifically the positive affects this expansion could have on both annual labor costs and the level of talent you can attract to your organization. First, cost of living and salaries could be lower as you look at new geographical areas with lower costs of living. It is a good idea to work with compensation study providers to gather insight, data, and analysis on how to apply geographical differentials to your salary bands and budgets. Secondly, the expansion of the geographical area allows for a much larger talent pool to select your next hire. There is so much talent nationwide, why not tap into it?
A few things to consider prior to expanding your recruitment areas. For example:
Which time-zones will and will not work for your organization and which time zone works best for this position?
What have we learned so far with and about our remote workforce?
What does a regular communication plan look like for our remote workforce?
What new polices need to be drafted for remote workers?
What are the additional overhead costs to a remote workforce?
Whether you jump in and expand recruiting across the US, or you take smaller steps within specific geographical locations, clearly communicating your remote polices is key. We recommend keeping your policies regarding remote work up to date and well communicated to your leadership and staff. Keeping these policies updated and on hand for conversations with both employees and candidates will ensure clear communication, expectations, and ultimately successful outcomes.
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