Diversity will continue to be a focus — Companies have to focus on implementing diversity initiatives and practicing them to help retain employees. Having a remote workforce could also help recruiters and companies diversify their workforce.
When it comes to designing the future of work, one size fits none. Discovering success isn’t about a hybrid model or offering remote work options. Individuals and organizations are looking for more freedom. The freedom to choose the work model that makes the most sense. The freedom to choose their own values. And the freedom to pursue what matters most. We reached out to successful leaders and thought leaders across all industries to glean their insights and predictions about how to create a future that works.
As a part of our interview series called “How Employers and Employees are Reworking Work Together,” we had the pleasure to interview Evan Sohn.
Evan is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Recruiter.com, an on-demand recruiting platform that combines AI and video job-matching technology with the world’s largest network of small and independent recruiters. He demonstrates expertise in a diverse set of industries and is a frequent contributor to CNBC and Yahoo! Finance. Evan has aided a number of venture-backed companies in growing their business and is also the co-founder and Vice President of The Sohn Conference Foundation.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about the topic of our time. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today.
My brother Ira, died from cancer in 1993. His manager and friends wanted to honor his memory resulting in the creation of the Ira Sohn Conference that has raised nearly 100 million dollars for pediatric cancer and related diseases.
I started a company right out of school in 1989 in mobile computing that grew and was acquired by Dun and Bradstreet in 1998.
What advice would you offer to employers who want to future-proof their organizations?
Employers need to take their employee’s priorities into consideration. In today’s market if an employee isn’t happy — they will leave. Companies need to work harder than ever to maintain their workers. Consider more frequent addressing of their pay, time off, and other benefits. Make them feel like a priority by prioritizing them.
We simultaneously joined a global experiment together last year called “Working From Home.” How will this experience influence the future of work?
Working from home has altered the job market for good. The option to work remotely has been a catalyst for employees reevaluating what is really important. Over the past few months, our Recruiter Index revealed that the number of employees who value nontangibles, such as new experiences, remote work, and work-life balance, has been increasing as opposed to salary. The option to work from home has also increased the opportunities available to job seekers tremendously. They no longer have to turn down their dream job because it is located in a different state. Geographical boundaries no longer exist.
We’ve all read the headlines about how the pandemic reshaped the workforce. What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support a future of work that works for everyone?
The pandemic has altered the workforce in tremendous ways. We are now in an employees market. For the first time, employees are calling the shots instead of the other way around. As a result of the employee market and the transition to a large part of the workforce working from home, co-workers are going need to adapt to new ways to interact. Whether it be through zoom calls, virtual events, or online coffee dates, the world of work is changing.
What is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?
With work from anywhere and hiring from anywhere on the rise companies now have a larger talent pool and employees have access to specific jobs they want. We have seen the recruiters become more specialized as the demand for employees increases. This may carry over into all employees as more opportunities are available to them.
Our collective mental health and wellbeing are now considered collateral as we consider the future of work. What innovative strategies do you see employers offering to help improve and optimize their employee’s mental health and wellbeing?
The mental health and wellbeing of employees should always be a top priority. We at Recruiter.com have a culture committee that meets weekly to discuss all things mental health and other ways we can prioritize our employees. Companies may want to consider adding some exercise benefits as part of their package as well as additional time off for mental health days.
It seems like there’s a new headline every day. ‘The Great Resignation’. ‘The Great Reconfiguration’. And now the ‘Great Reevaluation’. What are the most important messages leaders need to hear from these headlines? How do company cultures need to evolve?
Leaders need to understand that times are changing and employees are not going back to in office for 9–5 hours. The Great Resignation showed that employees everywhere are leaving their jobs to figure out what the next best move/company is for them. Being that it’s currently an employees market, they get to take a minute to really evaluate what they prioritize. Companies need to hear employees and their wants, otherwise, there’s another company out there that will snatch the talent in a heartbeat.
Let’s get more specific. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Track In the Future of Work?”
- It will continue to be an employees job market — The job market will continue to remain competitive in the coming year and employees priorities will continue to change. With ample job opportunities employees can now demand more pay, better work-life balance, remote work, etc.
- Remote work is the new normal — As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work seems to be here to stay. This allows workers a more flexible schedule and may even eliminate hours of commuting while still getting their work done.
- Work-from-anywhere will morph into hire-from-anywhere — Interviews and hiring can now take place fully online, increasing the applicant volume immensely for open roles. Companies and prospective employees are no longer tied by geographical boundaries.
- Employees will demand a work-life balance — During the pandemic many employees took time to refocus on what is important to them. Whether it be spending time with loved ones or focusing on their hobbies, they realized that they need balance. Companies who provide their employees with new experiences and possibly health check-ins or extra PTO may have a better shot at retaining their employees.
- Diversity will continue to be a focus — Companies have to focus on implementing diversity initiatives and practicing them to help retain employees. Having a remote workforce could also help recruiters and companies diversify their workforce.
Our readers often like to continue the conversation with our featured interviewees. How can they best connect with you and stay current on what you’re discovering?
You can reach me at [email protected] and stay up to date on all our news at Recruiter.com.
Thank you for sharing your insights and predictions. We appreciate the gift of your time and wish you continued success and good health.