Best of the week: Employers pushing to reboot business in 2021

February 5, 2021 10:30 AM

Employers have a lot on their mind when it comes to rebooting their business in 2021. Recruiting is a priority, with 82% of companies planning to hire or rehire employees this year, according to Monster’s Future of Work report.

Deciding where employees will work is a challenge for Cove, a coworking platform. The company helps organizations define their hybrid work policies and digitize workplace practices, like desk and conference room reservations.

For employees who want to stay remote, a recent survey by Apartment Guide rounded up the best cities to live, based on cost of living and internet speed.

See more ways employers are navigating recruiting and remote work in our top stories from the week:

Monster finds employers are ready to rehire in 2021

Employers and employees are planning to make big career moves in 2021, despite ongoing unknowns from the COVID-19 crisis.

Almost half of employees plan to look for a new job this year, according to research from job searching site Monster. Employees can feel optimistic about their options: over 80% of employers plan to make new hires and hire back previously laid off and furloughed employees.

While employees and employers have a positive outlook about the year ahead, HR will continue to face challenges when it comes to finding the right candidates. Monster found that 87% of employers are struggling to hire qualified employees due to a widening skills gap, as potential candidates have remained out of the job market for almost a year.

Read more:

Monster finds employers are ready to rehire in 2021

Free LinkedIn classes help employees upskill

Professional development has plateaued during COVID-19, but LinkedIn is giving employees across the U.S. the skills they need to grow and advance at work.

To help professionals learn skills that can lead to a promotion, LinkedIn is offering 15 of their LinkedIn Learning classes for free. These classes will focus on hard technical skills like software development, project management and sales — jobs that are currently in high demand, according to research by LinkedIn and Microsoft.

In addition to classes on technical skills, LinkedIn is offering classes on soft skills, like giving and receiving feedback. The goal of these soft skill courses is to teach professionals how to lead and mentor others, increase their focus, transition into a people management role and be a leader.

Read more:

Free LinkedIn classes help employees upskill

How technology can enable more diverse recruiting

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are typically top of mind for HR leaders and talent acquisition teams, yet change has been slow. Even as 2020 shined a spotlight on social injustices and inequalities across corporate America, the question remains — will the work get done to create the change needed to break down diversity barriers?

While we still have a long way to go, initial signs give hope that change is possible when it comes to DEI and certain technologies are paving the way forward. For all the metaphorical fires we have seen over the last year, heightened attention and priority on DEI will be the phoenix that rises from the ashes.

Read more:

How technology can enable more diverse recruiting

Workplace flexibility and hybrid office options are in high demand among employees

Employers are swapping cubicles and commutes for a more flexible, hybrid approach when it comes to returning to the office post-COVID.

While 35% of workplaces do not currently have a firm reopening plan, 68% of employers want workers in the office at least three days per week, when it is safe to do so, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. However, only 22% of organizations said returning to the office was a priority, SHRM found.

Employers including Facebook, Slack and other tech companies have committed to a permanent remote model, but most employers are looking for solutions that strike a balance between remote and in-person work, says Adam Segal, CEO of Cove, which creates tech-enabled co-working spaces.

Read more:

Workplace flexibility and hybrid office options are in high demand among employees

10 best cities for remote workers

Employees will be able to live anywhere they want if their workplace continues to allow remote work after the pandemic. But where can they get the most bang for their buck?

As more employers adopt remote work policies, employees would have the option of moving to smaller, less expensive cities, where they can have a higher quality of life on their salary.

To help employees determine which U.S. cities are ideal for telework, Apartment Guide — an apartment listing website — conducted a study that compared the cost of living for a two bedroom apartment and available internet speeds for each city.

Read more:

10 best cities for remote workers