Meeting the post pandemic requirement of modern workforces is imperative to attract, retain, and develop talent.
In a post-pandemic era beset with continuous technological disruption and the friction surrounding remote work, businesses must make smart decisions in order to attract, retain, and develop future workforces.
It is therefore imperative to understand and adapt to common employee expectations, which are heavily influenced by the effects of the pandemic. More often than not, these demands centre upon the importance of remote work, well-being, inclusion, and career fulfilment.
Despite the challenges in transitioning from one mode of operation to another, such as from fully on-site to remote or hybrid work, the pandemic has also provided businesses with invaluable digital tools to catalyse a smooth transition to the future of work.
Remote and Hybrid Workplaces
With regard to productivity, the pandemic has proven that it is possible for employees to maintain productivity from home, as long as the right system and culture are in place. Working remotely, without being continuously monitored, has enabled employees to achieve greater flexibility when managing their work hours. Given this opportunity to also tend to their personal lives, a more harmonious balance becomes possible between work and life.
During the pandemic, countless employees experienced flexibility and autonomy like never before. Remote work has since become an important point feature of their careers among many employees. According to a recent survey, more than 25% of employees would seriously consider switching jobs if their organisations reverted back to full on-site work.
The result has been a widespread case-by-case implementation of a hybrid workplace model as a middle ground for businesses and employees. Under this type of arrangement, it is possible for organisations to make the most of their talent in the necessary areas of operation, while also letting employees lower their commuting expenses and enjoy a more flexible work-life balance.
Toward Greater Well-Being
From anxiety and depression to burnout syndrome, it has long been apparent that mental health plays a crucial role in the well-being of employees. Widespread resignations during the pandemic period have prompted a significant policy response among businesses, with 67% of US employers looking to make employee mental health a top health priority in the next 3 years.
Giving employees access to assistance programmes and behavioural health services are effective strategies for mitigating mental health issues. Moreover, these types of initiatives also result in sustainable growth for companies looking to retain, engage, and develop their employees.
The Need for Inclusion
The best employees are those who feel a sense of belonging. To achieve this, companies must look for ways to communicate consistently and include their employees in their development plans. Put into simple terms, the quality and frequency of messaging between an organisation and its personnel directly affect employees’ sense of belonging.
By allowing the workforce to have a say on current and future company policies, organisations can adapt to feedback and foster a strong, cohesive work culture. Company surveys, as well as consistent one-on-one communication between managers and their team members, can help greatly in this regard. Another way to foster inclusivity is through Employee Resource Groups, wherein employees may talk and collaborate with their co-workers on different platforms.
The Need for Career Fulfilment
Each employee needs their career to genuinely engage with their interests. It is true that different cultures uphold varying principles regarding work ethic; for instance, Japanese workers are well acquainted with the concept of “Shokunin”, which refers to an artisan striving to perfect their craft regardless of whatever stage they are at in their career. Yet the pandemic has disrupted this sentiment across the global workforce. “Quiet quitting”, or “doing the bare minimum to get by”, has for many people replaced classic notions of work ethic for many people.
Considered an extension of the “Great Resignation”, where companies have faced a mass exodus of employees, managers are still struggling with ways to motivate and incentivize their employees. This trend toward detachment usually coincides with a lack of opportunity for growth, and unaddressed gaps in employment benefits.
The importance of employment benefits and a fulfilling career path have been made plain to workers during the pandemic. The grim reality of a market-based compensation structure whereby employers could not afford to incur payroll costs in order to compensate their most valuable employees meant that even the most talented staff were under the threat of layoffs. Top companies must therefore remain extra vigilant, providing incentives in addition to a positive day-to-day work experience, as a means of retaining and motivating their top talent.
Companies would do well to recognize the myriad needs of their personnel at every stage of their employment life cycle. This means, for instance, taking into consideration the needs of a mid-level employee with elder care or childcare responsibilities, or the career path of an entry-level employee.
Exploring Possible Solutions
Innovations in digital platforms and other types of software have made it easier for post-pandemic businesses to maintain productivity, ensure quality communication between supervisors and subordinates, provide flexible off-site clock-ins, and enable limitless accessibility. Remote work collaboration is now seamless thanks to cloud-based servers, with data access safeguards keeping company property in safe hands.
By fully embracing the use of digital solutions in everyday operations, businesses can achieve a higher level of connectivity than before the pandemic began. Connectivity between companies and their employees provides managers and subordinates with the ability to communicate from anywhere, at any time, bridging the productivity gap between on-site and remote work.
With cutting edge digital tools, businesses may also continuously adapt to the feedback of their employees, by taking into account the key factors behind employee happiness while also enabling flexibility through remote or hybrid work. In addition, job training, reskilling, and upskilling no longer necessarily have to be conducted on-site, as employees may regularly engage with e-learning programmes online using an array of digital tools.
From Customer Relationship Management to Human Resource Development solutions, a new era of work has begun as a result of connectivity. Today’s abundant digital solutions seek to answer the post-pandemic needs of businesses and their employees in every sector across the globe.
New Standards for a New Generation
The four main selling points for post-pandemic workforces are remote work, well-being, inclusion, and career fulfilment. Despite the challenges associated with the process of transitioning to accommodate these demands, the requirements themselves may be met by fully embracing digital solutions as part of modern work life.
Through digital means, companies can lessen their overdependence on paper-based and on-site work, provide space for employees to manage their working hours, and also open a line of convenient communication between managers and their team members through uninterrupted cloud-based connectivity.
In order to navigate this new business environment, you’ll need to partner with the right people and the right talent. Get in touch with Connexus Global today, and we’ll help you stay on top of each new development by finding the ideal candidates to steer your organisation in the right direction, no matter how novel the challenges.
