Remote work.

Even five years ago, the concept seemed a distant hope for the sleeping majority of the workforce. But after 2020 showed corporations of all sizes that remote work wasn’t just possible, but profitable, there’s no going back.

One by one, companies across the globe closed their offices and brought remote work from pipe dream to mainstream. A study by Growmotely (featured in Forbes) last year revealed that 74% of professionals expect remote work to become standard. And with the precedent that’s been set by companies like Twitter, Slack and Salesforce, business leaders are running out of excuses not to offer fully remote positions.

But now that remote is becoming the norm and professionals on the hunt have had a year or more to narrow down their must-haves in a new remote position, how can companies ensure they land their dream candidate?

We’ve compiled the top three things your remote offer needs to land top talent in 2021.

1. Fully remote or hybrid work option

Professionals coming from fully in-person roles may prefer a hybrid work option to help transition to remote work. Meanwhile, those who have already been fully remote may find it jarring to have to return to in-office work. Offering one or a mix of these two models ensures you’re attracting the most (and best) talent.

2. In-demand benefits

Surveys conducted in the last year reveal an array of in-demand benefits that job seekers have their eye on. Topping the list are healthcare for prospective hires and any dependents, professional development to hone current skills and develop new ones and coaching from mentors within your company to learn leadership techniques. Other important benefits rising in popularity in 2021 include childcare, home office expenses and mental health support.

3. Flexible work model

People are looking for more flexibility in their workday to allow for hobbies, childcare and a better work/life balance. In fact, some industries have taken this flexibility to a whole new level (or what some would argue is the next level of the new normal) and begun implementing a four-day work week with alternating Mondays and Fridays each week to allow for more time to unwind.

If your business is looking to land that perfect candidate, the three key ingredients above are a necessity for your remote offer. Professionals seeking a new role in 2021 are expecting a seamless hiring experience and they’ll keep looking if their must-haves aren’t met.

One of the easiest ways to deliver on that seamless hiring experience and sign those perfect candidates faster is by extending offers through an applicant tracking platform like CandidateRewards Xpress. This enables employers to send prospective new hires an offer letter experience that’s far and away better than the outdated, static PDF attachment.

On a dynamic candidate tracking platform, the employment offers candidates a way to view not only their salary, but the full value of your offer. From health benefits to 401k matching, even career path models, it’s an immersive, interactive experience for candidates.

And that experience isn’t only an improvement for the candidate – it also provides a wealth of invaluable data and analytical insights for the HR team. With real-time information on when the candidate visited their personalized offer letter on the platform and detailed stats on what they interacted with most, HR teams can perfectly time follow-up responses and seal the deal faster on prime candidates.

The talent pool in 2021 is sophisticated and shrinking. Don’t miss out on your perfect candidate because of a lackluster offer.

Ray O’Donnell is the founder and CEO of TotalRewards Software. To learn more about effectively marketing total rewards to employees, executives and candidates, get a free trial of TotalRewards Software today.