Flexible working and successful hiring go hand in hand. Here's why.

Right at the moment, pretty much every technology team is working fully remotely.

That’s because they have to.

Once they can call them all back to the office, lots of companies will. Some won’t. Some will flex a bit. Some a lot.

Equally, some candidates will be resistant to ever coming back in. Some will be back like a shot.

What you do, and how you hire, amidst this fast changing situation, will have an enormous impact on how well you can secure and retain the team you want.

Because it’s not so much about what you do as why you do it. Real flexibility comes when companies:

Focus on outcomes and not clockwatching. If a team, or a person, is doing excellent work, it will be clear in the end product. Does it matter to you whether that was done at 11am or 11pm? Does it matter where someone was when they did it? It doesn’t. So if the results are coming, let them be responsible for how it’s done
Trust their people. Treating people like schoolchildren just demonstrates that you don’t trust them. And if you don’t trust them, why did you hire them? The whole concept of hiring people you think you have to micromanage and then staying right on top of their entire day is toxic. Hiring mature individuals and letting them do what they do is the opposite of that.
Share goals. Your team will deliver what you want if they’re on board and also want it. That isn’t going to change whether they’re in the office or not. It’s about the way you hire and the way you engage them in the mission
Prioritise productivity. Let’s face it. Relentlessly checking KPIs and attendance is a waste of your time, and theirs. Compliance won’t make them good at anything but complying. So let them be productive and use the time you’re saving to increase your productivity too.

Companies with highly motivated, skilled and flexibly managed teams perform at a high level. And guess what? They’re hugely attractive – so you’ll be better able to find and engage new people for your team when you need them.

I work with all kinds of companies to help them build their technical teams, and I have an excellent network of candidates who add value way beyond their technical skills. Making the right introduction isn’t just a skills matching exercise – it’s about people. That’s why I talk about the Art of Recruitment.

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