The evolving nature of hybrid working

By Tray Durrant, Executive Director, Bain and Gray

It is vital to keep a close eye on the evolving employment market for both companies looking to recruit the best executive support staff and for candidates keen to move roles.

The London support market is particularly complex now: alongside the regular skills set required of a role is the added element of hybrid working, which is composed of different elements for every single position. Essentially, hybrid working is an ongoing discussion for all the jobs we currently recruit for, and our role as a recruiter is to bridge the gap between candidates and employers so that the two can meet in the middle.

On the candidate side, it is clear from our recent survey that there is complete consensus in favour of some element of home working, the preferred mix being two days at home with three in the office. But this also depends on what stage of their career a candidate is at.  Junior and very senior roles want to spend more time in the office, whereas the mid-candidates are typically looking for a mix, with at least two days at home. What is clear is that candidates agree that it is imperative to spend some time in the office, which makes a fully remote role particularly tricky to recruit for. Equally, clients who want staff in the office five days a week will need to reflect this in their salaries, which are already creeping up across the board. Most need to offer some home working to attract the right candidates and evolve their systems to take account of what the current generation is demanding form the workplace.

Due to these added complexities around hiring, some firms are taking longer to recruit and are losing out on good candidates. Both parties need to communicate effectively about the current state of each role, how flexible the business can be with regards to home working and what the future working arrangements might look like both in terms of hybrid working and salary expectation.

It’s interesting to see that Atom Bank has just announced a shortened working week of 34 hours, across four days with no reduction in pay. Might this foretell a new pattern of how we work?  I have no doubt that it will result in an increase in productivity and a happier work force, who get to have one day to themselves during the working week.

Today’s employers should take note.

Bain and Gray are thought leaders in Executive Support recruitment sourcing candidates in London in support roles ranging from Receptionists, Team Assistants, Office Managers, PAs, Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff roles. www.bainandgray.com