Is the labor market still on standby because of the coronavirus? Since the beginning of June, the market has gradually started to recover. We have noted an increase in our clients’ requests, without however returning to pre-crisis levels. The shortage of qualified personnel is still present and the market remains active. Despite a difficult and uncertain context, companies have projects to move forward, and certain functions are essential to meet medium-term objectives.
Companies have now adapted to new modes of operation. While the adaptation phase is behind us, remote work has settled in as a new norm for now. A new normality seems to have temporarily taken over: position briefings via video, telephone and video interviews, recruitment decisions made remotely, remote onboarding, etc. Technological tools make it possible to compensate for physical meetings that are becoming rarer.
Will flexibility at work be the new norm? Flexibility at work is a topic that has made the headlines of many HR blogs. Each company will probably look seriously at the issue: the awareness of the time spent in transport is such that efficiency gains are within reach with a few flexibility adjustments. The challenge is to define the right balance to gain quality of life without it being to the detriment of the professional environment. Indeed, a company must first create a professional environment that allows exchange between employees. Well defined, the « home office » becomes a pleasure, a kind of bonus that only makes sense if the company and the employee derive mutual benefit from it.
How do technological tools help you? Technological tools are at the heart of the solution; the counterpart to technological tools being of course human interaction, teamwork and internal communication. The combination of approaches makes it possible to stay on course and maintain a constant level of efficiency. We had chosen, from our creation in 2013, to bet on all-digital, and this proves today to be a wise choice.
Will retention of the best elements be a challenge? Retention of the best elements is not new. The current crisis brings out desires for authenticity in working relationships; the employee says they are in a quest for meaning regarding their work. Rather than seeing the best employees leave, the questioning lies in managerial approaches and the intrinsic values of the company, which are both magnets that attract or repel employees. An employee who is fulfilled in their relationship with their manager or their company will not ask whether the level of flexibility of work organization is sufficient or not.
