The world of work has changed drastically over the past 3 years and recruitment is no exception to that. Prior to the pandemic, most agencies required their employees to work in the office but the landscape today is completely different.

Big tech companies have offered a work from anywhere policy which dominated the headlines on the topic in 2022. Due to the sales-based nature of a recruitment role and the need for face-to-face meetings from time-to-time, it has been one of the more complex industries to navigate when it comes to creating a structure that works for everyone.

The working environment of agencies today can be categorised into 3 environments – fully remote, hybrid and office – but which category do recruiters like the most? There is no simple answer to this one, every person is different and this has created what can be considered a divide in opinions.

Here is an overview of how recruitment agencies are approaching their work from home strategies in 2023.

1. Work from home or work from anywhere

Some agencies offer a fully remote or work from anywhere structure. This is more common in smaller boutiques who operate flat structures and hire experienced billers, with established networks, who are able to work independently.

At this level, the recruiter will have a network that requires less face-to-face interaction, due to their existing track record with clients.

If the recruiter is a manager, they may find it challenging to manage a sales team remotely if the team are relatively junior or new to the job. If the team is more experienced, management can be more straightforward.

Some recruitment leaders, especially in the larger agencies, aren’t for this structure as they feel they start to lose some of that high energy sales floor culture, which is why they would prefer employees to have a hybrid structure.

Other recruitment leaders use this structure as a key attraction to join an agency, especially the boutiques, as some of the larger agencies aren’t able to offer it. It’s also popular on the employee side for recruiters who want full flexibility, but not for everyone which we will explain later in the article.

2. Hybrid structure

This is the most common structure in agencies today.

What we see most often is that employees have about 2 days at home and 3 days in the office. They generally tend to keep the days the same for everyone, so there is team interaction on the days employees are in the office.

Some managers would also offer the work from home or anywhere option up and above the hybrid structure, if the consultant is hitting billing targets.

Some agencies also manage how many days a consultant has at home by seniority. For example, a Principal Consultant may have more days at home than a Consultant. Managers may also be required to be in the office more often for training and fostering a team culture.

3. On the sales floor

A handful of agencies have returned full-time to the sales floor. This is more common in mid to large agencies who have high growth plans or agencies who hire employees with no recruitment industry experience. This is typically because the agency can manage closer and deliver training more effectively.

Some recruiters may favour this environment, especially those who worked in the industry prior to the pandemic as they’re used to the buzz of a busy sales floor and that’s what they love.

We still speak to recruiters who ask specifically for an office environment for the reason above, although most recruiters prefer a hybrid option.

Based on performance

In most agencies, recruitment managers base flexibility on performance. For example, if there is a performance issue, or if a consultant requires more training, face-to-face tends to be the preferred method for managers so they will call their employees into the office.

One size fits all or at the manager’s discretion

Some agencies have a ‘one size fits all’ structure for everyone, whilst other agencies delegate the decision of how they structure it to the leader of the team and what that particular manager wants to do.

Juniors require more training and face time

Although agencies have always hired recruiters without prior experience, this is becoming a go-to model in 2023 due to the scarcity of recruiters, compared to the availability of graduates.

Agencies who hire juniors are much more likely to require a consultant to be in the office full-time during onboarding to soak up the key fundamentals of recruitment.

Structures may change

The landscape is changing constantly and in some countries there are still lockdowns that may disrupt a model that has been put in place recently.

Not only Covid-19 affects a structure, but any shifts in the market, such as economic conditions in 2023. A shift in market conditions will require some level of training to adapt successfully.

Most working environments may change from time-to-time depending on this, but also the situation and needs of the business.

Which is the best and what agency offers one of these structures?

There is no simple answer to this one, every recruiter has their own preference and working style as to what works best for them. My advice would be to discuss how the agency structures their scheme during an interview process and assess how you feel about it.

Make sure you’re not closed off to change. A structural change in your environment will happen at some point in the future and it’s best to keep an open mind. You can talk to your manager to discuss your feedback on the change and how that affects you personally. Worst comes to worst, you can move agencies.

If you’re interested to know what agency has your preferred structure, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and we can have a chat.

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