06Jun

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to communicate remotely and productivity in the workplace improved as a result. And while a large majority would prefer to work from home for good, there are still groups of people who would rather commute to the office and work in-person. 

Flexibility & employee happiness 

Enter the hybrid work schedule. The biggest perk of working hybrid is its flexibility. Allowing employees to choose when they come in grants them autonomy and earns their trust. They’re able to determine when coming into the office works for them and when it doesn’t. Additionally, when employees don’t have to commute every single day, they aren’t forced to live in areas they can’t afford.  

Forbes stresses this point, saying, “When employees are able to work from anywhere, it won’t be as important to live near expensive urban areas (more than one-fifth of employees are already considering or planning to move somewhere more than 50 miles from work). The flexibility of remote work will also allow parents to balance work and childcare more easily, and hiring managers will be able to cast a wider net and find candidates from all across the country.” 

Social aspect 

When asked what they miss the most about office culture, many professionals allude to the social aspect. Working remotely keeps you behind a screen and doesn’t allow for socialization. When using a hybrid schedule, employees get the opportunity to meet people and network. This is especially important for young adults entering the workforce for the first time.  

Creativity & productivity 

Creativity and innovation can’t be forced. Employees know when they have the proper energy and resources to produce quality work. Hybrid schedules promote this idea. LinkedIn says, “A hybrid workforce lets employees develop their creative energy when they select. You also can support with easing and stress management. When workers feel less pressure and become comfortable, they have the prospect to produce their own time and relationships. More employers are finding that this leads to better time management with quicker goal accomplishment.” 

The ability to wake up and decide whether the commute is feasible is an amazing opportunity for professionals. Those with children, disabilities, or other ailments are given more independence in their work-life balance. WeWork mentions, “They can choose to work when they’re feeling most productive, whether that’s in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. When employees are happier, better rested, and less stressed, they do better work.” 

What next?

All in all, hybrid schedules have just as many perks and benefits as remote or fully in-person work. No matter your preference, if you’re interested in chatting with one of our talented recruiters and finding the schedule that works for you, visit our Jobs Board today!

Jun 6, 2023

Optimism Growing for an Improving Job Market

Optimism is growing that the worst of the pandemic business retrenchment is over and that job growth may be just around the corner.

The Conference Board last week said its Employment Trends Index increased in January for the ninth consecutive month.

At the same time, Chief Executive released its latest poll of chief executive officers showing their confidence in future business conditions continues to grow. It is now where it was in February last year, just before the global business shutdown. Out of a possible 10 points, the 300+ CEOs scored their optimism about business conditions in the coming months at 7.1, a 2-year high.

In addition, Chief Executive reported that “A growing number of business leaders now forecast growth in revenues and capital expenditures as well. Meanwhile, they rated their confidence in current business conditions ‘good,’ at 6.2 out of 10.”

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The Conference Board’s Employment Index and its Leading Economic Index, released late last month, are both on an upswing, if a slow and uneven one. The LEI increased by 0.3% in December after improving by a more robust 0.9% in October and 0.7% in November.

“The US LEI’s slowing pace of increase in December suggests that US economic growth continues to moderate in the first quarter of 2021,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director of economic research at The Conference Board.”Improvements in the US LEI were very broad-based among the leading indicators, except for rising initial claims for unemployment insurance and a mixed consumer outlook on business and economic conditions.”

The improvement in the Employment Trends Index has been far steadier and quicker. The index came in at 99.27 in January, a small .72 point improvement over December but a significant improvement from last spring when the index was just over 70. Still, the index is 10% lower than it was a year ago.

The Employment Trends Index is a leading composite index for employment, meaning it is an early indicator pointing to future job growth. “Turning points in the index indicate that a turning point in employment is about to occur in the coming months,” says The Conference Board. “The Employment Trends Index aggregates eight leading indicators of employment, each of which has proven accurate in its own area.”

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One of these, the number of workers employed by the staffing industry, has been a primary driver of improvement in the index, says Gad Levanon, head of The Conference Board Labor Markets Institute. “The Employment Trends Index has been increasing in recent months, with the largest contributing component being the number of jobs in the temporary help industry.”

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.95 million workers employed by the staffing industry at the beginning of 2020. Following the government ordered COVID shutdown, the number dropped to 1.95 million in April. Now, the latest BLS report says the staffing industry employed 2.7 million in January.

Though Levanon cautions we should expect some uncertainty around job growth due to the risk of the emerging COVID variants, by spring he says, “We expect strong job growth to resume and continue throughout the remainder of the year.”

Photo by Corey Agopian on Unsplash

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