After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, staffing expectations in workplaces were disrupted to an extent. However, the drastic shift also led to a sudden surge in the technology industry’s efforts to make sharp inroads into automation, embedding technological solutions by utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) and chatbots as alternative solutions to strengthen remote working.
Since then, technology has become the backbone of all workplace processes and systems where many industries have embraced technology to adapt to the changing nature of working conditions, from office to home during the pandemic and now back to the office.
Companies are steadfast in creating a secure, equitable work culture offering unmatched experiences to employees. “In view of this, several staffing organisations have also embraced the S.L.I.C.E. values, which stands for Simplicity, Legacy, Innovation, Collaboration & Excellence.” Below are some of the changes in hiring patterns brought about by workplace solutions :
AI replacing traditional selection procedures
Digital and technological trends will drive hiring patterns in the years to come. AI tools are helping in numerous ways by identifying talented candidates with the right skills and experiences in the shortest possible time. Earlier, to discover the top candidates for a position, recruiters and hiring managers would need to comb through hundreds of resumes and job applications. This procedure could be expensive and time-consuming, particularly if the hiring team needs to fill several positions.
AI solutions are transforming the recruitment process by automating and streamlining many of the manual tasks that hiring managers currently complete. AI can assist in finding applicants with the appropriate qualifications and experience as well as in the screening of aspirants for other qualities that would be significant to the business, such as leadership potential.
Emphasis on advanced technological skills
Requirements for job roles will undergo tremendous changes due to the increasing digital penetration in our workplaces. In the coming years, industries will no longer seek only knowledge, tenure and experience while recruiting but will also closely look at upskilling and digital dexterity as some of the desirable skills among aspirants. To excel in their workplaces, candidates and existing employees will have to apply creativity, critical thinking and constantly refurbish their digital skills to solve complex problems. Accordingly, staffing patterns will change to accommodate high-performing candidates with knowledge of AI tools or other apps and smart technology so the bar for technological dexterity is set high at the entry level.
Providing much more than financial incentive
Today’s workforce is very diverse, including millennials and the younger generation possessing specific characteristics and skill sets. With plenty of choices for jobs, candidates are now looking beyond just financial stimulus to consider other benefits as well.
Nowadays, aspirants prefer certain brands and also carry out thorough research on the organisations to gauge if they align with their values. This way, candidates are able to take informed decisions on choosing their next workplace unlike before when people would be content with any job offered to them. Thus, many organisations are reaching out to grading agencies to get evaluated on all the factors that would make them achieve a ‘Great Place To Work’ certification. By bolstering their credentials, companies are able to meet the present day’s standards of work environment, not only from the employers’ perspective but also from the employees’ social, economic, psychological, emotional parameters and the importance they place on sustainability.
Hiring in times of hybrid work conditions
The pandemic-driven crisis started the trend of working from home and it seems unlikely it will fade away easily, especially with the emergence of two new dimensions. First, the moonlighting schemes where tech employees want to take up additional work over and above their regular day jobs and thus, prefer remote working policies. Second is the opening up of avenues for 4-5 working day weeks under the new labour codes. Amid this rigmarole, a renewed trend of hybrid work will shape up where there will be a mix of working from the office on certain days of the week along with one day from the home, with the weekends left to take up other assignments or projects. Firms will focus on finding a middle ground or ways to chart out an ideal path once this work preference gains popularity and is desired by the majority of aspirants. At offices with hybrid working conditions, candidates’ choices will be required to be sought during the recruitment process to work through their options.
How to get work done smartly and economically, with the right people and technology- hiring in the coming days will revolve around these questions. The pandemic has eroded the traditional ways of working, with the new work patterns formed during the crisis becoming the new normal, but with enhanced techniques of engagement. The future of the workplace will continue to get more innovative, inclusive and insightful, ensuring companies regularly revise their recruitment and retention strategies to ensure they hire the best talent.
(The author is Mr.Pratik Vaidya, Chief Vision Officer and Managing Director, Karma Management, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
