Quiet quitting, the great resignation, the four-day working week and working from home have all been hotly debated within the Scottish business scene over the past 12 months, but what does that mean for 2023? More of the same or will recruitment trends focus solely on the war on talent?
The way head-hunters and executive search consultants work will always be subject to the broader trends of society, but what we are witnessing now when it comes to placing candidates is the focus shifting away from remuneration and towards the culture, chemistry and fit of an organisation.
Gone are the days when the decision to move from one employer to another was based solely on the financial package. While this will always be front and centre for almost every recruiter’s negotiation, the core values of a business are extremely important.
A decade ago, it was about the financials; now, it is about the opportunity.
This is a sizable shift, which has been accelerated over the past two years, ultimately, the way many people work has changed radically, and alternative working models seem likely to become firm fixtures of the business norm. However, while working from home and hybrid working have become standard practice for many companies, the work schedule that has drawn much interest and debate is the four-day week.
The four-day week may not be the answer for everyone. It’s not difficult to understand why this model is garnering so much attention. However, we feel that a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to produce the best results.
Our clients span many sectors, and their varying requirements and priorities must be considered. For example, food manufacturing businesses are bound by tight production schedules, while customer-facing companies may be unable to shorten their operating hours. In these cases, a four-day week is unlikely to be practical and could result in longer days or stressful workloads to fulfil the weekly targets.
While no one can forecast the future, it is likely that the businesses that invest time and effort into fostering a culture rooted in communication, particularly at the recruitment stage, will likely secure the talent they require.
