Agencies are scrambling for candidates. As I’ve previously discussed, they are trying to hire out of a tight market. Eligible candidates are not only hard to come by but understand “unbeatable” offers are a dime a dozen and are confident they will soon snag a role that fulfills their wish list.
So why are so many agencies still demanding in-person staff when “remote” is etched in bold writing across most of the candidate pool’s wish lists? If any agency wishes to consider themselves a contender in this cutthroat market, they must cater to the candidates.
Most, if not all, of the candidates I am interviewing are requesting remote work. After a year and a half of working remotely or socializing with others who work remotely and “will never go back,” candidates have decided the grass is greener inside their own homes.
They’ve eliminated commutes that eat what little downtime they have, ditched their dress pants and shoes, increased work productivity, and reveled in a host of opportunities that are associated with greater work-life balance and a reduced financial burden. In short, they’re not going back to the office.
Agencies should not discount the benefits they enjoy by recruiting a remote workforce. Like I said, the job market is tight. By hiring remote workers, agencies open themselves to candidates from all over the country. While it’s difficult to recruit eligible candidates in the tri-state area, it may not be so difficult to recruit candidates from places like Omaha, Salt Lake City, Miami, etc., where the job market may not be as competitive, or where candidates have fewer options than those in the tri-state area do.
I’ve been on the soapbox about remote work long before the pandemic. If agencies don’t offer remote work now, they may straggle far behind agencies who have been offering remote roles for at least the duration of the pandemic. Save your time and money and get with the program.