Daniel Martos: “Data and information on labor markets became essential when looking for teams and workers remotely.”

Daniel Martos is the professional he is now because of how many things came together to shape him. Daniel, who was involved in the field of Talent Acquisition, showed a keen interest in and aptitude for technology. He was a Technical Recruiter for Softonic, TravelPerk, and Preply.

He put some of his time and energy into teaching the things he had learned in his job. He accomplished this by organizing a recruitment community and conducting training activities. Daniel also gives presentations at conferences, meetings, marketing schools, and the University of Barcelona, where he is a professor.

We talked to him to find out what he thought about hiring and digital talent in light of the situation we are all in right now. Our interview focused primarily on the following crucial issues:

• How is human resources affected by the global pandemic?
• How are companies adapting?
• What challenges are these organizations facing? 

What does talent in the digital world mean? 

The talent one must possess in the digital world is the ability to understand the challenges that show up in the technological landscape. At the same time, they need to be able to respond to these problems and find ways to solve them.

It is not just about having a specific educational background, but more about having the capacity to adapt to these changes.

Sometimes, people ask me what I usually look for in people I consider for recruitment. Well, I always respect individuals who work hard and, at the same time, have good problem-solving abilities.

Excellent technical knowledge doesn’t do much if you cannot adequately respond to and solve the challenges and problems that show up. To understand digital talent, you must be able to combine and use both “hard skills” and “soft skills.” 

In the digital world, it’s important to be able to understand the problems in the technology landscape and come up with solutions for them. 

The world of recruitment and talent is undergoing rapid and constant change. And the global pandemic significantly impacted our lives at all levels. How do you think it affected the world of human resources and digital talent? 

COVID-19 drastically changed systems that were already latently present. For example, working from home had already created a buzz long before COVID, especially in technology, but only a few dared to take the plunge.

But because of the pandemic, many teams and businesses had to learn how to work from home or move. Before, many people feared and loathed working from home. Now, people are forced to do so to keep the work going.

As a recruiter, I also need to adapt to this new situation. I used to work in a local market, Barcelona, where we did global recruitment. At present, living in one city or another doesn’t matter. Borders became more widespread, and we have all become a global market. 

At present, living in one city or another doesn’t matter. Borders became more widespread, and we have all become a global market.

From a human resources perspective, how have you adapted to this new situation? 

We had to change with the market and be as creative as possible to keep from losing talent, even if it was just a little bit. Many companies and recruiters are now considering making decisions that were not previously viable.

For example, in the past, it was inconvenient to consider opening an office in Amsterdam with the central structure in Barcelona or Madrid. Now it is a viable option for different teams.

Right now, candidates are reluctant to travel. So people are being hired in their home countries to work from there.

When looking for teams and workers remotely, data and information about the job market and open positions in different countries, such as wages, conditions, skills, and future prospects, became essential.

Understanding your data on salary benchmarking from various countries, cities, and positions is crucial when making informed decisions. 

Data and information on labor markets and open positions in different countries regarding wages, conditions, skills, and prospects became essential when looking for teams and workers remotely. 

How do you envision the near future? What is here to stay? 

One of the questions that candidates wonder about is their work setup once the COVID-19 crisis is over. They want to know whether they can still work remotely or not.

There has been a great interest in continuing this model for many workers regarding remote work. However, remote work lacks the social interactions face-to-face setup provides.

One cannot dismiss the fact that having a physical space and a meeting point where employees can meet and interact in person is essential.

In most cases, it is more likely that a hybrid structure will prevail. For example, in a five-day workweek, people can work from home for three days and report to the office for two days.

A work from home setup appears not only appealing but also beneficial for companies and employers alike. 

In most cases, it is more likely that a hybrid structure will prevail. For example, in a five-day workweek, people can work from home for three days and report to the office for two days.

Follow TalentUp on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter to get our latest articles!