It’s obvious, the coronavirus crisis has brought new limitations and changes – hitting us unprepared. For now, most daily lives have changed, behavioral patterns believed to be predictable are shifting and remote working becomes the norm.

Never before, has the phrase “work-life integration” been so true – as we are literally figuring out how to coordinate and blend these two together. We are beginning to gather various insights – and I can say that from all the conversations I’ve had, I am noticing a more reflective state and a future-oriented outlook.

What do I mean with future-oriented? The co-founder of Kickstarter, Yancey Strickler, just recently published a great article about the so-called value stack. Similar to companies developing a “tech-stack” or list of tools they use in their businesses, the “value stack” can be found in the way we approach values, including the morals → rules → incentives. However, instead of morals being the foundation, this value stack has been working on reverse for a long time. With the current situation, we are developing an interesting change in mindsets, focusing less on “now me” / “now us”, and moving closer towards “future me” and “future us”.

👤“Future me” – goals we have and what we aspire to be – an increased interest in learning/developing new skills

👥“Future us” – more reflection on what the future in 10-20 years might look like – and what we should do today to help solve those challenges of the future.

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We talked to many candidates, clients and potential leads:

We began to gather feedback early on to define a clear vision – and actually we’re developing a very positive, future-oriented outlook for the future of work and collaboration. It’s a great time to connect with people, since almost everyone is currently quite isolated, but connected to an online network, making it easier for us to reach out than ever before.

Insights we gathered around the current challenges and future of talent acquisition:

💡A more honest and reflective state

Overall we notice a much higher level of reflection, ranging towards people’s own careers, as most team members are cut off from their daily interactions together – giving time to reflect away from others
Each person we talk to feels the current support of their employer differently, from regular digital exchanges to a perceived loneliness, with not being asked how they are doing
Many people are asking themselves the honest question whether they are actually satisfied with their professional situation, which they took for granted until now

🤝Collaboration – building something meaningful:

The future of work will involve collaboration from all parts of the world at all times. The tools and digitization required for this to work effortlessly is now on the rise. Our clients understand that need now more than ever.
Talents realize the importance of communication – and are learning how to collaborate online/remotely. They are eager to up-skill and develop their career further – especially regarding technical skills.
If you don’t show or demonstrate an understanding for how meaningful your people are – you will lose. Top talents can sense this degree of purpose a team has or lacks. As the interest for “work-life” integration grows, talents become more picky in whom they choose to integrate with.

💙Your brand’s value-stack will influence the people you hire:

When it comes to talent acquisition, your value-stack is your branding.
We are living connected and with full transparency, where one single review can make a huge difference. The reputation of a company is not controlled by marketing alone. Everyone you hire (& also the ones you don’t hire) influence your reputation and can participate in making, or breaking, your brand.‌‌‌‌
Therefore, be personal – try to make your recruiting processes a great experience for everyone involved – even the people you don’t hire.

While our economy is fragile at the moment and experiencing asset devaluation, there are challenges that remain to be solved – and now is the best time to solve them. It’s about finding out how to deal with the future. And for people working within HR/recruiting, this situation is the biggest agent of change. There is a focus and clarity about what should change for everyone personally and professionally in the future.

Looking for your next candidate? Find out how to optimize your recruiting with Lionstep. More here.