In case you missed it, we recently aired a special edition minisode of the DE Talk Podcast hosted by our friends at Recruit Rooster – Ruth Toombs and Rob Cox. These two sat down to discuss the workforce trends experienced over the course of the pandemic so far, from unemployment to labor shortages, remote work policies and beyond. This conversation is lively and enlightening and filled with laughs and surprising statistics you won’t want to miss. Take a peek at the conversation below!
Ruth Toombs:
So when we think about 2020 early on, crazy times, just to recap from a labor standpoint unemployment was as high as almost 15% in 2020. That’s unbelievable. And we had roughly, in total, 600,000 businesses close. Think about that. That is an incredible amount of businesses, whether it be temporary or permanently closed and you can imagine a lot of people were looking for labor. So, what about now, Rob? What do we look like now?
Rob Cox:
Yeah, bananas. Those are absolutely crazy. So now it’s different. It’s completely different. We’re talking about labor shortages and remote work and things like that. In terms of remote work… I’m from the Northeast, we’re here in Indianapolis but I work remotely most of the time, and I think a lot of organizations are starting to see that as not only viable but necessary.
Ruth Toombs:
Think about the cost that they get to save. If you have the opportunity to have your staff remote, why wouldn’t you?
Rob Cox:
Right. Yeah. Yeah, it’s one of those things, you’re also opening your talent pool to the nation rather than just wherever you’re regionally located. So especially for people like us here, located specifically in Indianapolis, this is the only location that we have that, if we weren’t hiring remote, our talent pool is Indianapolis.
Ruth Toombs:
I will tell you; a side note for this is, I was talking to a very large organization located pretty close to us, outside of Chicago. And their issue, of course, like everybody, you’re trying to find talent, trying to find candidates. Their issue was having west and east coast companies essentially poach talent in the Midwest because they can pay them less and they can work remotely.
Rob Cox:
Yeah.
Ruth Toombs:
And I mean, it makes sense. So, the Midwest is getting hit extra hard. But then you also have people on east and west coast that like the idea, now that it’s a remote world, they can move to a lower cost of living place like the Midwest. So, I guess it might balance out eventually.
Rob Cox:
Yeah, it’s interesting. It’s interesting. But yeah, I mean the whole point is, we’re looking at 25% of people in North America working remotely now. And that number’s expected to grow within the next year.
Ruth Toombs:
Rob, I was going to ask you too.
Rob Cox:
Yeah.
Ruth Toombs:
Some of the conversations I’ve had with employers, and I wonder, I’m pretty sure you’re probably on the same page is, I hear some maybe mid-level even up to executive level leadership and they’re saying, “Some of our higher ups, like CFO, COOs, are saying we want everybody back in the office.” And they are getting serious pushback. Have you had those conversations too?
Listen to the full episode to hear the answer, as well as ways Recruit Rooster has helped employers combat the labor shortage that is taking place as a result of the Great Resignation. Want to hear more from Rob and Ruth? Stay tuned for another great episode from this duo when Season 4 of the DE Talk podcast airs in the coming weeks! Subscribe by email to be notified of new episodes or search for the DE Talk Podcast on Apple or Google Podcasts.
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