Employees are starting to ask more and more questions about their workplace, which has eventually led to many leaving their jobs.
Why am I doing this? What is it for? How can we do it better?
Future work trends
1. Reinvention – The flipside of disruptive change
We’ve learned to work in an entirely different way and now have the capability to reinvent entire organisations, the future always has ever-changing disruptions and issues, however as business models change to fit the new consumer 2022 this means more flexible production methods tailored to customer needs. This could be by organisations responding more creatively and becoming more fluid.
“Platform and marketplace” businesses are spreading more rapidly and production will become more advanced and personalised.
2. Scarcity – Surviving the talent shortage
Due to factors such as economic expansion, delayed projects from covid-19, and skill mismatching to name a few, jobs don’t necessarily match the people. As the digital world expedites the job misplacement gap will only increase.
This talent shortage is named The Great Resignation and doesn’t mean people are only in short supply, so are materials.
Of 700 professionals almost a third said they were thinking of leaving their job even though they didn’t have another one lined up.
What can you do?
- New methods to incentivize candidates to join and employees to stay
- Give positive candidate experience
- Explore possibilities of flexible working to accommodate for a wider range of people, this helps with added inclusive hiring practices
3. Vitality – Employee wellbeing takes centre stage
Companies face an economic burden of sickness and stress, both in medical expenses and lost productivity. Remote working has given employees a greater understanding and concern for their own wellbeing, this is especially relevant with an increase in mental health since the pandemic began.
Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
What can you do to help employee wellbeing?
For example:
Create a social life at work through encouraging team building, have annual team/charity events. You could also offer paid leave to volunteer for partnering organisations which would also help them grow professionally.
Advertise a purchasing program where employees have the opportunity to buy merchandise on an instalment or interest-free basis, creating a good incentive scheme.
4. Sustainability – Always talk sustainably
Investors, partners, customers, and employees are all turning their backs on businesses that won’t commit to building a sustainable future, company leaders need to unify their team and make changes in their corporations towards a more sustainable future.
Boards have a critical role in providing education, monitoring, and support for the ESG strategy. Most companies need to change the way they operate to meet their goals.
5. Individuality – Employee experiences are personal
People want a better work-life balance with less commuting, to feel energized and not sit alone at their desks, to attract and engage the best talent you will need to be changing demands by delivering consumer-grade employee experiences at work.
Organizations will start individualizing the employee experience by,
- Build deeper more meaning relationships with employees and take a personal approach.
- Reduce multiple polices and bureaucracy to leave processes that afford flexibility.
- Build your capability to deliver constant success therefore compliance check will be reduced to improve employee experience.
- Personalise opportunities at each employee touchpoint from application to internal development.
6. Inclusivity – Unlock the power of “togetherness”
Expect a rise in purpose-led organisations, collaboration will be encouraged no matter what background, organisations will need to address issues of “invisible people and unheard voices”.
Research shows that diverse and inclusive teams are better at solving complex problems, are more innovative, and make better decisions 87% of the time.
64% of organizations identify building diverse and inclusive teams as a key challenge.
What can you do about inclusivity?
- Recruit and develop inclusive leaders at every level
- Hold leaders accountable
- Build DE&I into each of the processes of the organisation, this means re- examining structures and include a “inclusive” design
- Make DE&I part of how you innovate. This is to boost collective intelligence and problem-solving
7. Accountability – Trust or Bust
78 percent of firms are using software to measure employee productivity.
Companies need to learn to trust their employees, this could be through,
Corporate accountability,
- We expect to see increased transparency. Organizations will be more willing to celebrate their achievements and publicly admit their mistakes.
Leadership accountability,
- Leaders will need to rethink what accountability means, as they adjust to new forms of remote and hybrid working and respond to the demands of leading more agile, fluid teams.
Individual accountability,
- Employees will be given more opportunities to make their own decisions.
