2020 was all about working through and managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Business Continuity/Crisis Management professionals worked around the clock – into the evenings and over weekends. In many cases it was an opportunity to showcase their talents while the executives took notice. 2021 was focused on a continuation of remote work, employee burnouts, and a hiring surge. What will 2022 bring? The tight labor market, especially for the Resiliency profession, will definitely not be just a yearlong anomaly. Organizations are responding to these challenging times in offering remote/ hybrid return-to-office work solutions, but that might not be enough. The Great Resignation will also continue to impact the Business Continuity profession and those employers who are creative with their hiring strategies will come out ahead. We believe that 2022 will be a year to rethink the old ways of hiring and increase employee engagement to attract and retain the best of the best in such a demanding labor market.
Hiring will continue to surge! In my 20+ years expertise of recruiting in this space, I’ve never witnessed anything close to the current market. In fact, our data indicates that job postings have surged 46% between 2019 to 2020 and 63% between 2019 to 2021. Organizations have been increasing their staffing resources to address gaps in their program, elevate their program to respond to additional events, as well as keep up with all the reoccurring BCM planning initiatives. Jobs are also remaining open longer and longer 90 - 120+ days. There is the misconception that you can post and share open jobs on LinkedIn, but professionals are simply not responding. Many of them have either made a job change in the last 18+ months, they are truly happy in their current roles, and/or they do not want to leave their employer in a bad situation. As a profession we are also terrible at grooming new BCM talent. Although there are a few universities and colleges that offer advanced degrees, many of these programs cater to experienced Resiliency professionals. So, we are faced with an increased demand, few experienced professionals looking to change jobs, and a very, very small new talent pool entering our space. This will likely continue until 2023 and potentially into 2024 until the demand starts to plateau or dip below the active candidate pool. Here’s an opportunity to implement some new hiring strategies to attract a different pool of candidates to meet your hiring demands. Perhaps broaden the search to professionals who are in tangent disciplines, such as Risk Management, Compliance, Third-Party Risk Management, Security, or public sector Emergency Management?
The BCM labor pool is becoming more expensive. Organizations are responding to the tight BCM labor market in offering more remote/hybrid return-to-office solutions, with most organizations leaning towards a hybrid model (2-3 days between the office and at home). Many view a hybrid solution as a nice balance to offering employees the flexibility while also maintaining the company culture and driving employee engagement. In fact, our recent LinkedIn survey in which we received 105 responses indicated the following:
- 100% back in the office: 7%
- 40-80% in office (2-4 days): 39%
- More remote/less than 20%: 30%
- 100% remote: 25%
With increased work options available, organizations are discovering that their local BCM talent has just become more expensive. They are now competing against larger organizations who offer remote work with higher compensations and better perks. Even if the local employers are offering a hybrid or 100% remote option, they are discovering its not enough. There is growing pressure to increase wages and offer other perks to prevent the larger organizations from coming in and snatching their local talent as remote workers. And quite frankly, this trend isn’t just isolated to remote locations. Workers have more power and leverage to request higher wages, better benefits, and flexibility. That’s not everything, though. Do they really feel valued? That brings me to my final thought on burnout and employee engagement.
How will the Great Resignation continue to impact our profession? The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that has been impacting each profession differently. For those who are not aware, the Great Resignation is an economic trend in which a surge of employees voluntarily resigns from their jobs. And it is a very real thing for the BCM profession. Within the Resiliency space, though, professionals aren’t up and quitting without having another job lined up. These professionals recognize the surge in the job market coupled with the high demand for their credentials. It’s more than just a paycheck though! It’s important to note that the BCM workforce has been exhausted managing a pandemic crisis for going on 2 years while also keeping up with recurring Resiliency program demands. Burnout is still a very real problem. Now more than ever before, these professionals are seeking a work life balance, they want to love the company they work for, and they want to feel valued. Many are reassessing their professional life and are more than happy to take a step back professionally to accommodate a work/life balance. And believe me, if you are not listening to your employees, driving engagement, and encouraging time off – you will lose out. Perhaps 2022 is an opportunity to think outside of the box with staffing. Maybe it’s a chance to blend roles and responsibilities to provide more work life balance, especially with global management roles in which time zones can be a challenge. Companies who can maneuver this change successfully will not only retain top talent, but they will be able to attract some incredible new talent too.
Your team is your greatest asset, and you’d hate to lose them to a better opportunity. Engagement and taking the time to listen can go a long way. Please feel free to reach out to us with any staffing questions. We are here to help you assess the appropriate personnel need, be it managed services, consulting, temporary or a permanent hire. Additionally, we have sample job descriptions and several BCM Research Reports available for review. You can also find great hiring manager video content posted on the BC Management You Tube channel. Arrange a complimentary discussion today at info@bcmanagement.com.
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