The coronavirus pandemic is making Canadian employers more cognizant of the need to offer flexible working arrangements, according to a new survey by Randstad Sourceright.
The survey, which polled 850 C-suite and human resources leaders across 17 countries, found 84 per cent of Canadian respondents said they’ll consider some sort of permanent work-from-home policy post-pandemic. In addition, they said 59 per cent of permanent employees are currently working remotely, compared to 28 per cent before the pandemic.
The vast majority (88 per cent) of Canadian respondents said their talent strategies are more focused on workforce agility than ever before, with this number dropping to 77 per cent globally.
Read: Majority of Canadians questioning employers’ ability to handle hybrid work model
Also looking at global respondents, 47 per cent of organizations said they’re increasing budgets earmarked for total talent investment to determine the best mix of permanent and contingent workers. In Canada, the percentage was higher, with 54 per cent increasing budgets and 63 per cent expecting to implement total talent management in 2021.
“You can’t achieve the business agility needed to thrive in today’s world without an agile workforce,” said Jean-Francois Vezina, executive vice-president and head of Canada at Randstad Sourceright, in a press release. “If you’ve built a contingent workforce, your business is already experiencing some of the benefits, but as skills gaps widen and demand for talent heats up again, you’re going to have to take a more holistic approach to talent acquisition to get ahead.”
Read: Five workplace changes that should stay post-coronavirus