Remote working in 2022…
For a lot of the food industry, ‘remote working’ isn’t an option, however within the commercial environment it’s still a hot topic.
Morten Andresen, Associate Director here at MorePeople specialises in commercial roles within the food industry has noticed the shift in mindset whilst working with clients and candidates and speaks about how to tackle this topic as we move through 2022...
"2020. 2021. 2022.
3 years that will go down in history.
2020 – Brexit, then Covid hits.
2021 – Vaccine and starting to take back control.
2022 – who knows?
Is this the year we stop talking about Covid? Only time will tell.
Despite the challenges, we have been incredibly busy and beaten records throughout the last year without signs of this slowing down anytime soon. This all points to a thriving and driven work environment, one which has decided to step up to the mark and not let the pressures get to them.
We’ve seen an unprecedented amount of change over the past few years. Whether that is change to the industries and the additional challenges across the board, or the massive shift in ways of working and people’s mindsets towards it. This is even more prevalent in Commercial roles and in one area in particular – the remote working debate! There is a definite benefit to being in the office and close to the packhouses etc, but the view of Commercial people is generally that they don’t need to be there 100% of the time.
The requests for remote working have always been there, it’s just that not many businesses have been set up to accommodate it, or they haven’t wanted to. Previously there had always been enough businesses saying that remote working wasn’t an option, so the conversation stopped there, no questions asked.
However, the balance has now shifted.
The hive mind of the work force has determined that there are now enough remote working opportunities that it’s worth holding out for roles that will allow the work life balance they are looking for, and this is proving to be a headache for a lot of businesses. There are many legitimate reasons as to why remote working works well for some, and less well for others. The reality is that every employer and employee need to decide where they stand and be upfront about it – everyone has their own version of what ‘flexibility’ in the work place looks like.
I suspect there is a usual bell curve with the vast majority looking for 2-3 days in the office and 2-3 days remote. I would strongly urge that you have a plan for what YOU want, as an employer or employee. The truth is, this just becomes another factor in finding the right fit - culture is, after all, the most important fact in hiring people. This might just become a clear indication of how those cultures could align…or not."
