Conference News September 2021 | Page 50

50 Recruitment

HYBRID , BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT

Robert Kenward founder and chief cheerleader of TheHub . Jobs says remote or flexible working is not the future , but rather is hybrid
recently heard someone say they were going to ask their employer to pay travelling time if they were expected to return to the office . I do realise the world has changed , but if the business needs their team to be in the office , then the employee has got to be in the office or consider moving jobs . It ’ s great that people feel confident and clear about what they need from a position , but they must remember they are not automatically entitled to it . It ’ s like dating : you could rock up with your wish list of the qualities you ’ d like in your future partner , but if the person doesn ’ t match them then you may need to compromise a little .
The last 18 months has accelerated the whole conversation of how , where and when we are working by about 10 years . It is wonderful and we need to celebrate this advancement because it really wasn ’ t that long ago that most company directors would ask which planet you were from when asked about working from home . These are conversations that needed to
Left : Recruitment expert Robert Kenward happen , but now the technology just needs to catch up ; keeping up with the multitude of messages and often unapplicable daily office chat and banter on Slack is beyond anyone ’ s capability . Also , managers / leaders / owners need to catch up , it ’ s a whole new world juggling people from afar and it ’ s a skill that few have ever been taught and fewer have mastered .
When discussing and evolving new working arrangements , there must be three core areas for consideration ; what the people need , what the business needs and what the industry needs . All three are of equal importance and should not be overlooked by employers or employees .
People needs While many have embraced working from home , there are plenty who hate it . Many companies may think they are being great employers by allowing their staff a lot of flexibility , but the people making these decisions are the people who are at the more advanced level of their careers , and they need to consider that not everyone is in the same boat as them . Business owners must be careful not to set up a class system ; many people don ’ t have the luxury of having the space needed to work effectively from home . We also must be aware of the mental health issues of people working in isolation .
You ’ d be surprised how many people need a bit of guidance and a framework in which to work . Giving people a choice is good , but giving them too much choice can lead to disaster . Look at the mess caused by ‘ unlimited holidays ’. Loads of companies jumped on the bandwagon , maybe because they thought it made them look great , but feedback shows that people took less holiday and others were also resentful of the people who took www . conference-news . co . uk