Working from home…A more attractive alternative?
Working as a recruiter for just over 2 years now, I have never needed to recruit for a remote position, however, things have changed over the past months. As more and more international companies are moving to Cyprus, they need to hire staff before even having proper premises. Therefore, companies’ owners decide to hire, as a first step, specialized staff to work remotely, from home.
Well, as recruiters, we might think remote positions are the easier ones to source and that candidates would be thrilled to work from home, or from the beach or the mountains, or wherever they happen to be but are they?
The hard part begins when such a vacancy reaches a candidate; they either ignore the position entirely or openly express their indifference for the position. But what about those who explain why they would not consider a remote position? These are the top 3 reasons a candidate rejects a work-from-home position:
Top 3 reasons a candidate rejects a work-from-home position
1. Lack of socialization: Many people seem to have an inner desire to interact with others, either during their free time or work; therefore, they prefer working in a space with other people at the same time rather than working alone from their couch.
2. Lack of assistance: People may tend to feel safer working with others. Having to deal with an obstacle or problem at the moment, they can ask for support without wasting time or being worried about whether what they’ve done is right or wrong.
3. Suspicion on the legitimacy of the company’s activities: Some candidates may wonder whether the company they work for is legit and stable, whether it operates any “suspicious” activities, therefore, keeping employees away from the company is the best way possible to hide what they really do.
Considering all this, my suggestion to employers who need staff but don’t have suitable space for them yet is to provide an attractive benefits package and create a job spec describing in detail what the company does and emphasizing what the company has to offer candidates instead of focusing on what they require from them.
Some suggestions on the benefits package, among others, are…
- Company computer/ laptop
- Installation of any operating system/ software/ application
- Company e-mail
- Increased salary, in comparison to the market rates
- Flexible working hours
- Financial support for internet connection
In closing, what I wish, as a recruiter, is to create a more diverse but at the same time fair and decent labour market for everyone that eliminates any obstacle in placing the right candidate in the right job position. This would include competitive terms and conditions, flexi-time and alternative working options like working from home, but also a strong focus on who fits what scheme, working from home could be terrific for one but not another. With flexibility and fairness, everything is possible.
Despina is an HR & Recruitment Consultant at HR Innovate. If you would like to contact Despina, you can email her at despina@hrinnovate.org
