Remote Work and Recruitment. Report by Pracuj.pl
Remote – this is the word that has been used in every possible context in recent weeks. The coronavirus pandemic has caused team operations and recruitment to move into the virtual space. As many as 6 out of 10 working respondents of Pracuj.pl perform their duties remotely. Moreover, 7 out of 10 expect that the role of this model will grow in the future. The same applies to recruitment. Every second respondent currently prefers the remote model, and 7 out of 10 positively assess meetings with recruiters in the form of video conferences.
Key information:
- 61% of employed respondents work remotely during the pandemic.
- According to 64%, their employers have organized remote work well.
- 65% expect that employers will invest in remote work.
- Remote recruitment is an important draw for 49% of surveyed job seekers.
- 71% of respondents positively assess video recruitment interviews.
Work in the era of coronavirus
How do we perceive work in the face of a pandemic and how does it affect our views on careers? To find out, the Pracuj.pl team prepared a report titled 'Work in the Era of Coronavirus'. Between April 23 and 28, we surveyed nearly 2,000 users of the portal. In the final, third part of the report, we analyze how the pandemic affects respondents' perception of remote work and recruitment.
Remote work – welcome, but mixed
At the end of April, most Pracuj.pl respondents were working in a remote model – fully or partially. 4 out of 10 respondents declared performing tasks entirely outside the company's premises. Another 21% worked in a mixed model – partly remotely and partly at the premises.
Interestingly, the rapid increase in the popularity of remote work and the associated complications did not discourage respondents from it. Mixed models are the most popular – 40% of respondents would like to have the option to come to the office at least once a week, and another 40% – to be able to work outside the office only on selected days of the month.
Effectively, though longing for the office
Effectively, though longing for the office
The very rapid, and in many cases previously unplanned, transition of many companies to remote work is the cause of many difficulties. However, as the responses show, in many cases companies managed to avoid them. 64% of respondents believe that their employers organized remote work well. As Konstancja Zyzik, an expert of the Pracuj Group, notes, companies are currently reaching for solutions that can be implemented the fastest, allowing them to manage the situation in the new reality. But this is only the beginning of changes.
In a more long-term perspective, one can expect a lasting increase in employers' interest in software, systems, and equipment that enable more flexible operations of entire teams. The ability to work remotely, good work organization, and soft skills will also become even more important assets for employees. Perhaps managerial positions will also emerge, focused even more on systematizing and increasing the efficiency of remote teams - says Konstancja Zyzik, Talent Acquisition & Capabilities Development Manager at the Pracuj Group.
Employees themselves are also coping well with the new conditions. 2 out of 3 respondents declare that they are just as effective when working remotely as when working in the office. The same number of respondents believe they manage well to separate private and professional time in this situation.
At the same time, however, 57% of respondents admit that during the spread of the coronavirus, they appreciated more the previously held possibility of going to the office and meeting colleagues in person. All the above data may indicate that in the coming months, hybrid work models may gain importance. Within them, the availability of working from home will play an increasingly important role, but offices will still play an important, new role.
The effect of the current situation will likely be that even more organizations will start focusing on flexible operating models, including when it comes to workspace. The changes forced by the pandemic will not make people work exclusively in isolation. On the contrary: it is isolation, or more precisely its psychological consequences, that will cause us to seek the most frequent but safe contact with others. In addition to the accelerated process of digitalization and technological development, the answer will be highly efficient collaboration platforms in physical spaces adapted to the new normal. Solutions that enable the optimization of many processes, access to knowledge and other resources allowing for innovation, and that ensure the highest standard of safety will be valued - comments Jerzy Brodzikowski, General Manager at CIC Warsaw.
Remote work has a future
Remote work has a future
Opinions are increasingly appearing on the labor market that the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate the growth of the importance of remote work. Similar beliefs are expressed by Pracuj.pl respondents. As many as 7 out of 10 are convinced that companies in the future will invest in tools supporting the performance of duties in this model. Slightly fewer, 65%, expect that the pandemic will highlight the advantages and savings from remote work, leading some employers to switch to this model.
As many as 7 out of 10 respondents perceive the ability to work effectively outside a permanent office as an increasingly important asset of an employee, sought by companies in specialists. This statement is more often agreed with by working people than by the unemployed, and among genders – by women.
Remote recruitment attracts candidates
Remote recruitment attracts candidates
Remote work report: what conclusions for companies?
The first weeks of the pandemic were a period of unprecedented growth in the importance of remote recruitment, conducted by phone or using digital tools. According to respondents' opinions, these steps are a response to the expectations of many Poles in the face of the coronavirus.
As many as half of the respondents declare that the possibility of participating in a fully remote recruitment process is an additional incentive for them to send their CV to an employer. Moreover, only 5% believe that this form discourages them from applying. This trend coincides with the attitude of many employers. Already at the beginning of May, half of the over 40,000 active job postings on the Pracuj.pl portal were marked with the 'remote recruitment' tag.
Many HR departments have efficiently handled the organization of remote recruitment in the face of the coronavirus. Although we observe a suspension of some recruitment processes on the market, the pandemic has not completely closed HR departments or stopped contact with candidates. The answers of Poles surveyed by Pracuj.pl show that the emergence of the coronavirus has significantly accelerated changes in Poles' approach to new forms of recruitment and their openness to them. Many factors indicate that health concerns are not the only cause of this state - comments Łukasz Marciniak, Sales Development Director at the Pracuj Group.
Video interviews on the rise
Video interviews on the rise
Even more unequivocally, the surveyed Poles assess the format that has gained very high importance in recent weeks – namely recruitment interviews via video call. As many as 7 out of 10 respondents (71%) have a positive attitude toward this format, and fewer than 1 in 10 respondents (9%) assess it negatively.
This translates into interest in solutions enabling virtual meetings. According to a report by Apptopia, the Zoom app increased its number of users worldwide by 300% within just one month of the pandemic. Pracuj.pl also implemented a new solution for employers at the end of March. The recruitment meeting in the Pracuj.pl Zone allows for free planning and conducting conversations with candidates applying for jobs via the portal.
In search of a new normal
The Pracuj.pl report 'Work in the Era of Coronavirus' creates an interesting, ambiguous picture of the professional 'new normal'. The coronavirus epidemic is an unprecedented challenge for employers, candidates, and recruiters. Since mid-March, we have observed declines in the number of job offers, and companies are facing difficult staffing decisions. On the other hand, respondents often declare readiness to change employers or retrain. This is a positive signal for employers who will recruit new staff during the economic thaw. It is worth following these opinions, as they show directions and actions important for employees and candidates in the new reality.
ABOUT THE STUDY:
The study 'Work in the Era of Coronavirus' was conducted by the research department of the Pracuj Group on April 23-28, 2020, on a group of 1,894 users of the Pracuj.pl portal. The study was conducted using the CAWI method (online survey). Subgroup sizes: job seekers (unemployed and working) - 1,557 people; declaring employment - 1,129; working remotely - 683.
Summary
The report 'Work in the Era of Coronavirus' shows that the pandemic significantly accelerated the transformation of the labor market in Poland. 61% of working Pracuj.pl respondents perform duties remotely, and 64% rate the organization of work by employers well. At the same time, 57% of respondents appreciated the possibility of going to the office during this time, suggesting the growing importance of hybrid models.
Remote recruitment has become a draw for 49% of candidates, and 71% positively assess video interviews. An interesting fact is that the Zoom app increased its number of users by 300% within a month of the pandemic, and Pracuj.pl implemented its own tool for virtual meetings.
