I have just received another rejection from a very suitable candidate because he refuses the remote arrangement for the position (3 days office per week). This issue is actually the neuralgic point where almost every executive search often fails. The more often I discuss this with companies and candidates, the clearer it becomes to me: it's actually about trust, or rather: a lack of trust.
After all, hardly any company has a problem with a long-standing manager who has their team, projects and stakeholders under control taking liberties in terms of where and when they work. The main thing is that the performance and results are right. You trust the person to do a good job, no matter when and from where.
However, it is precisely this trust that is often not placed in 'newcomers', i.e. people who are hired 'from outside'. The prevailing attitude is usually: 'Let him or her prove themselves first. Anyone who doesn't even want to come into the office shows that they're not very willing to perform.'
Candidates, on the other hand, read: '3 days a week on site' and see this as an outdated requirement that speaks for an outdated corporate culture and wave it off. So both sides mistrust each other.
So what can you do? In the interviews, I advocate a mutual leap of faith: companies can, for example, limit the requirement for days in the office to the induction or probationary period. And candidates should trust that solutions can usually be found for all needs and wishes if good work is done.
Once again, trust is the solution - and this applies to almost all areas of business and life.
