The Future of Work: Remote Work Trends & Hiring in 2024
The summer of 2023 witnessed a significant shift in office occupancy rates across major US cities. San Francisco reported a mere 45% office attendance, with San Jose falling even lower at 39%. While LA and New York hovered around 50%, even Austin, a city known for its high return-to-office rates, only reached 59%. These figures stand in stark contrast to pre-pandemic times when office attendance typically neared 90% nationwide. This data signifies a fundamental change in work preferences, with both employers and employees embracing remote and hybrid work models.
The Rise of Remote Work:
As a recruiter with over 23 years of experience, I’ve observed this trend firsthand. More job seekers are actively searching for remote or hybrid work opportunities, and an increasing number of employers are advertising these options in job descriptions.
Pay Transparency and Employee Retention:
With pay transparency laws gaining traction across the country, many employers are wondering about the impact on turnover. Payscale, a compensation software company, reports that pay transparency can significantly reduce “intent to quit” by 30%. Furthermore, their research indicates a growing desire among employees to understand employer pay determination practices.
There’s one key caveat, however: pay transparency appears to correlate with increased job-seeking behavior in Gen Z workers. This means younger employees may be more likely to explore new opportunities based on salary transparency, not just for their own roles, but also for executive positions within their organizations.
The empty offices of summer 2023 paint a clear picture: the future of work is likely to be remote- or hybrid-centric. Employers who embrace these models and prioritize pay transparency are more likely to attract and retain top talent. When it comes to interviewing, focus on relevant questions that assess skills and experience, and ditch the quirky inquiries.
Nix the Quirky Interview Questions:
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights the pitfalls of using offbeat interview questions (Source 4). While applicants might find these questions entertaining, research by Don Zhang, an associate professor of industrial and organizational psychology at Louisiana State University, suggests they may not be very useful in assessing job fit. In fact, for some applicants, particularly those with less humor or those who are neurodiverse, these questions can be off-putting or even inappropriate.
Here are some examples of “oddball” interview questions to avoid:
- “What should your headstone read?”
- “What kind of animal are you?”
- “Which Disney hero do you most identify with?”
Recommended Reading:
- The strong economic case for hiring people with criminal records, on The Big Think
- Employers bringing staff back to work via bike, ride share, on Worklife News
- It’s Official: Years of Experience Is (Almost) the Worst Predictor of Job Performance, on Inc.
Are you looking for top IT talent in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry?
Contact us to discuss how we can bring top-tier IT talent to your organization. The Swan Group are executive leaders with extensive IT recruiting expertise in the biotech and pharmaceutical space. Our goal is to ensure that each professional we place and each client we work with achieves a competitive advantage based upon our services.
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Contact us to discuss your career options or browse our opportunities. As a small boutique firm, we are in the business of building careers, not just filling positions.
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Our goal is to ensure that each professional we place and each client we work with achieves a competitive advantage based upon our services. Our specialty is high level INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY placement within the Pharmaceutical, Bio-Pharmaceutical and Consumer Products industries. Thoughts, comments or would like to discuss further please contact us.
