Several trends have defined the recent history of the professional world. The most notable changes – working from home, flex-working, an upswing in contract jobs and virtual recruiting. Perhaps the most welcomed trend to emerge over the last year and a half is the four-day work week.
Naturally, the notion of having a three-day weekend is the immediate draw, but this option can also offer improvements in terms of efficiency, productivity, higher job satisfaction, and higher employment retention. The four-day work week is likely to become more commonplace soon – making sure teams are ready for the shift is paramount.
Read on for insight into this growing trend, and how ATS features can make the transition a smooth one.
The COVID-19 Influence
While the dream of a four-day work week is not novel, the conversation has been reignited and brought further into the realm of possibility during the COVID-19 era of remote work and flexible hours. Many companies have discovered their productivity levels were not impacted by the staff’s choice to work in different locations and times – rather, companies witnessed a resoundingly positive influence. These rapid and unpredicted adjustments generated a better balance of personal and professional lives, lending itself to revisiting the four-day work week concept.
Maintaining a work-life balance is one of the top priorities for many job seekers when considering a new job – 72% of candidates keep this top of mind during the job hunt. In general, when employees have more time to contribute to their non-work responsibilities, it results in reduced stress and a more focused approach to their work. Companies that promote work-life balance have staff that are up to twice as productive as companies that don’t value work-life balance. The benefits of work-life balance are undeniable and could be achieved much more efficiently through a four-day work week – it’s no wonder 74% of workers support this initiative.
Efficiency is Key
While there are some obvious benefits to this shift, not every company has the infrastructure for a four-day work week. Many employees are given 40 hours to complete their week’s work. However, the average person only has 3-6 productive hours a day, which, spread out over a 40-hour work week, can lead to significant procrastination. The notion of reducing the work week to 32 hours can sound daunting, but it is possible with a few adjustments to processes.
An agency can create more efficient procedures when they have update to date, accurate and well documented information. Mindscope’s integration with Outlook transfers the correspondence between recruiters, their candidates, and clients, recording it in their database. This plug was designed for a simple and accurate transfer documents, like resumes or certifications. Once the documents are housed in the Mindscope system, users can search for keywords effortlessly.
Mindscope’s advanced search capabilities let users make customizable Boolean searches and save those searches in hot lists for future reference. This prevents users from having to sift through the database for every similar candidate search. Mindscope’s scheduling tool also helps recruiters stay organized and complete their tasks in a timely manner, by quickly scheduling activities such as interviews and phone calls, and letting the candidate know within a few clicks, all from within the ATS.
Automation – Reducing Manual Processes
Incorporating elements of automation into the workspace is an ongoing conversation. However, now that the four-day work week is being highly considered, expediting the automation of manual tasks through technology has become a higher priority. Automation in the recruiting industry does more than increase efficiency, it allows recruiters to refocus their priorities to more personable tasks, like building authentic connections with their clients and candidates, leading to increased retention.
Mindscope offers several automation features that allow users to focus on tasks that require their soft skillset. For example, the innovative Shazaam parsing tool analyzes candidate information from a variety of sources (LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.) and transfer it into the Mindscope database. This saves recruiters from manually entering information for every new candidate. In addition, our easy to use and customizable templates make sending out emails and making documents like blind resumes a much faster task, allowing users to plug in variables, automating key information gathering.
Onboarding is a tedious and vital task, with Mindscope’s integration to Able’s onboarding platform it computerizes key onboarding paperwork saving time for both recruiter and new hire. All onboarding tasks are handled on a mobile application, reminders are sent out automatically to both parties regarding outstanding documentation, reducing recruiter involvement.
Mindscope is passionate about joining the discussion surrounding the latest professional trends. We are committed to providing our customers with products that empower them to stand out. Contact us today to learn more.
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