In light of COVID-19’s impact on the world, remote work will continue to be part of how we work moving forward. As such, insights from candidates in Hired’s 2021 State of Software Engineers Report reveal that having a remote work policy or flexibility in how you manage your workforce will impact your employer brand and, further, how job seekers evaluate an opportunity with your company.

A company’s employer brand is a combination of a company’s reputation and the value it presents to prospective employees. Without a positive reputation and brand, a company can lose out on qualified top candidates to competitors despite working on innovative products and services that may have set them apart pre-pandemic.

Given the circumstances, companies such as Twitter and Google have announced their version of remote policies and long-term work strategies for their employees. Both companies remain on our list of the top 20 global employer brands candidates around the world would like to work for. More companies around the world have followed knowing that remote work is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

By removing the limitations that city based hiring can bring for companies, remote work enables organizations to hire from a larger pool of quality talent and create a larger impact. Additionally, Hired’s 2020 Brand Health Report states that tech talents agree that remote work has the potential to help companies build more diverse workplaces (78% said strongly) which is a consideration for them when joining a company. By incorporating and communicating remote-work policies into your company’s strategy, talent will find opportunities with your company more accessible and attractive.

 

Prioritize work-life balance

 
In the midst of a global pandemic, many employees may find themselves in difficult circumstances at home or in their personal life while committing to perform their job responsibilities. How your company is supporting employee work-life balance and mental health can impact your brand and of course employee morale which they share with friends and peers in the industry. A major concern for leaders while employees shelter-in-place and work remote is employee mental health, especially as it relates to isolation, anxiety, depression, productivity issues, Zoom fatigue, and burnout. By providing genuine support to employees, this care is recognized as part of the company’s values.

And while remote work can help companies increase diversity in the workplace, employers should be conscious of how long they expect team members to spend on video calls. 70% of tech talent prefer to spend no more than 1-3 hours per day on Zoom. This provides enough time in the day for team members to perform asynchronous and collaborative work during working hours and still have time for things that matter to them in their personal life, as well.
 

Create policies and procedures that support remote work

 

Companies that truly want to support diversity and inclusion must actively support remote work. Doing so will likely mean reviewing and updating current company policies and procedures regarding how your team handles interviews, onboarding, performance management, etc. By creating a culture that makes remote workers feel heard and part of the team will allow businesses to leverage their remote talent to the best of their ability and have better success at retaining those workers for years to come.

Whether you are hiring for remote or local talent, Hired is the go-to solution to help you with all of your hiring needs. Since 2012, Hired has been fundamentally changing the way people hire and get hired. As a data-driven online marketplace, Hired solves many of the problems associated with old-school recruitment strategies. On their platform, you’ll find top talent tailored to your needs, AI that adapts to your hiring preferences, a pool of highly engaged candidates, and the ability to send customized assessments to candidates. Spend less time sourcing and more time hiring. Try Hired for free here —and keep your recruiting funnel full.