Weekly Newsletter Vol. 2 - September 13, 2023

Generating your Lead Story…

Announcing a “Return-to-Office” policy post-Labour Day and trying to find new candidates to come on board…

Hiring Manager: We would like to schedule an interview with you this Tuesday after the long Labour Day weekend.

Candidate: That’s great. I have heard so many amazing things about your company culture. It looks like you had a record year with everyone working from home.

Hiring Manager: We did, it was a great year. Have a nice a weekend, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions as I will be checking my inbox.

Candidate: Thanks, will do. Enjoy your long weekend, as well.

*Silence from Hiring Manager over the weekend*

Candidate: Hi, I’m following up as you didn’t respond over the weekend. Before I come in I wanted to clear up if this is still a remote role?

Hiring Manager: Oh. Sorry, we forgot to change that in the job description. We are changing our work-from-home policy effective today.

Candidate: Oh. With that information, I’ve changed my mind about taking this interview.

Covid turned our work lives upside down. It shut down businesses, our meetings became video chats, and our office policies as a whole changed forever. Companies that never had a single remote worker suddenly had almost everyone working remotely. It was new, it was scary, and for some companies, it was tough to manage and they were falling apart. Others, however, saw their business flourish and even saw record profits. Additionally, working remotely gave candidates opportunities they never would’ve had otherwise.

One factor that offices in different parts of the world can attribute to the success or downfall of their team working remotely is the demographics of their teams. Those that have employees who live in suburban areas with larger homes and bigger work spaces seem to be doing better at home, while others in crowded cities are finding it hard to focus in their one bedroom apartments. This brings into question, can employees who aren’t commuting get more done in a day? Some seem to think they do.

One person shared with me, “I can take that 55 minutes going back and forth commuting and I can have more things I get done,” he said. “I like having dinner with my family and being at their games.”

Nevertheless, we are now 3+ years removed from the start of the pandemic and office policies seem to be changing again. This time they’re asking for everyone to return to the office.

A recent Resume Builder survey says 90% of companies will be asking their employees back to the office post Labour Day. For companies that have returned already, 75% say they have seen an increase in productivity and revenue.

While some companies have not yet mandated return-to-office policies, they have made the office such a tight-knit community that employees feel the ‘FOMO’ of not being onsite.

Though, it is still hard to ignore the success many companies have had being remote, as surveys have revealed that work productivity was the same or higher since employees started working from home during the pandemic.

So the question now is…

Who decides which policy is best for their company going forward?

All companies heading down this new road will be faced with similar hurdles. As hybrid and remote work have become our new norm, a strict return-to-office policy will make it hard to retain talent, as well as find new talent. Despite this challenge, business leaders have made it clear that returning to the office is going to happen.

Ultimately, the biggest factor in all of this is the employee, and the first step that should be taken is making these policies more flexible than it was before.

Shortlisted Tips & Trends

How to give yourself a better opportunity during your interview to secure the job:

• Research the company beforehand: Knowing what the company does, who they service, and the types of employees they’ve hired in the past can help you understand their problems and how you can help find solutions.

• Be on time: This is a statement of courtesy that tells the interviewer that you are prepared, responsible, and eager to have this interview. If you’re going to be late, give as much notice as you can.

• Ask questions: This tells the interviewer that you’re interested in the opportunity, you want to help solve the problems they have, and you genuinely want to know more about the company you may be working for.

• Bring a solution: You don’t have to do the company’s homework for them, but bringing a solution to a problem you discovered in your research before the interview will show the hiring manager that you’re a top performer.

• Ask for a tour: If they jump at the idea, it often means they are eager to bring you back for another interview or to make an offer. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t offer it to you at the end of the first interview, but it is a great sign when they do.

You can’t make this stuff up

_{(*Disclaimer: these are real experiences provided by RME's community of job seekers and hiring managers)}

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