Are you hiring a director of remote work? Here’s why Facebook did: Just two months into the pandemic, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the company an early adopter of long-term remote work—pledging to allow employees to work from home through summer 2021 and predicting that, within five to 10 years, about half of its workforce could be working remotely. That forecast became more solidified, and expansive, over the following year, with the company ultimately announcing last month that nearly all employees would have the option to request permanent remote status. To make that a reality, the tech giant has invested significant back-end work to formalize its approach to remote work—from new policies to tech adaptations. And, in charge of it all, a new position: Director of Remote.Read more.
Crucial during COVID, HR tech is still growing in importance; here’s why: The vast majority of HR and C-suite leaders say HR technology has been vital in supporting business priorities and helping organizations operate and survive during the pandemic, new research finds. Read more.
Report: There’s a big demand for AI-based recruiting tech: As workplaces roll out back-to-the-office and hybrid plans over the coming months, many will be beefing up their staff as part of the rebound. A new report from Ceridian finds that more than half of U.S. employers surveyed will build out their teams over the next year, with one-third planning to hire gig workers and a vast majority intending to hire remote and freelance employees. Read more.
Sumser: 4 big questions about work after COVID: After 16 months of quarantine, we are emerging into a world that may look somewhat the same—but isn’t. During the pandemic, the world of work split in two: those who had to physically go to work and those who didn’t. And now, we’re trying to figure out what’s next. Read more.
Why better tech tools are vital for deskless workers: The majority of the world’s workers—an estimated 2.7 billion people—do not sit at a desk when doing their jobs. However, according to Emergence Capital’s “The State of Technology for the Deskless Workforce,” while 80% of the global workforce is considered “deskless,” only 1% of venture capital has gone toward building technology that addresses the unique needs of these workers. The result? A massive segment of the population has been left without the tools they need to be successful at work. Read more.
The summer vacation boom is here: Are you ready? Employees are finally ready to travel again. Advance planning and tech solutions can help manage the logjam you might be facing. Read more.
HR Tech Conference 2021: All eyes on DE&I: One of the main themes of this year’s HR Technology Conference is the increased prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion at the highest levels of almost every organization. Everyone involved in these initiatives knows there is almost no doubt that DEI has ascended from “nice to have” to “essential for the organization and its future.” At HR Tech this fall, several sessions will address how organizations are making progress on their DE&I goals and—importantly for the HR technology community—will showcase many of the updated and new HR technologies that can help organizations along this path. Read more.