The New Workplace – How To Adapt
The workplace has changed due to the pandemic among other reasons, and some work trends are here to stay like remote work, zoom meetings, and mental health support. Because offices and their policies might look different in the post-COVID years, here are simple tips and information to help you adapt to the new workplace.
- Remote Work Is Here To Stay
Commuting into the office every day is becoming a thing of the past in most new workplaces. Many organizations are offering more flexible work options from only coming in a few days a week to being completely remote. According to a recent study by the tech company Loom, 32.5 percent of workers said they experienced a better work/life balance when working from home or in a hybrid setup. While remote working does present some challenges, communicating frequently and clearly using multiple communication channels can help. Providing more flexibility around remote work options for employees will help in recruiting efforts and candidate attraction.
- Work/Life Balance
In the post-COVID era, people are looking for not only flexibility in their work schedule but looking for better work/life balance and support for mental health and other issues. Because life is stressful, workers are looking for and switching to jobs where they receive more support. Both male and female workers are experiencing burnout in their professional lives due to personal and global issues, however, women are experiencing double the burnout as men, and in a study conducted by Mckinsey & Company, they found that 1 in 3 women in the workplace contemplated changing or leaving their jobs in the past year. The more flexibility an organization can offer employees in terms of hours and location, mental health benefits, DE&I initiatives, and other areas, the more attractive they will be to potential candidates, and if you are an individual exploring new job opportunities, you should be evaluating these options.
- Skills Are In
Many employers are now focusing on what skills candidates may have to help the organization or give them a competitive advantage or what skills a candidate or employee could learn through training to address core business challenges. Organizations that establish paid learning and development training through digital courses, and give employees online resources to help cultivate skills will be mutually beneficial for both managers and employees. As a candidate, you should be asking if there are any opportunities as such in an organization during interviews.
- Final Thoughts
Other new trends in the new workplace is an emphasis on collaboration using programs like Slack, Google Docs, and group spreadsheets. It is important to be aware of these programs as the “office atmosphere” continues to shift in the coming months and coming years. Safety, flexibility, and learning will continue to be buzzwords in the post-COVID workplace. For specific questions contact us at jon@inpeakdemand.com.