Affecting human existence and work throughout the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented and unforeseen shifts in workplace trends. From small startups to big companies, everyone has been adapting to the changes dealt by the “new normal” rules of social distancing, remote work, and flexible terms of work/pay.
In this light, business leaders and HR personnel throughout the world have got a lot on their plate. They need to analyze how each new trend will affect their business dynamics, act upon aspects needing immediate attention. and examine the impact of post-COVID-19 shifts on their pre-COVID-19 entrepreneurial plans.
Mainstreaming remote work/WFH
Currently, almost half of the world’s employees are willing to work from home (WFH) or a quaint location, an option that was almost unimaginable before COVID-19.
Aware of the importance of quarantining for employees’ health and safety, organizations are allowing their members to work remotely. To help their employees work from home while ensuring their productivity and business growth, HRs need to hone essential employee skills and abilities as well as move business operations onto digital platforms. Even performance targets and evaluations/appraisals need to be rethought and refashioned in line with remote work.
Minimal-contact office spaces
The growing popularity of remote work does not mean that office workspaces are on the verge of extinction. On the contrary, companies are renovating their offices such that they contain more open spaces, maintain spotless hygiene, and ensure social distancing along with minimal worker-to-worker contact.
Flexible work models
The temporary economic shutdown caused by COVID-19 led to massive job losses, compelling employers to conceive out-of-the-box flexible work models. To regain the balance between budgets, investments, and turnover, businesses are becoming more open to using contingent or gig workers instead of overinvesting on full-time employees.
Moreover, businesses are introducing unique job models to make their operations more cost-efficient. For example, 80% remuneration for 80% work offers incentives for the most hardworking employees, while talent sharing increases support and work efficiency, encouraging others to learn from the best.
Even though part-time/contract-based employment is a key component of emerging business trends in 2020, leaders in 2021 must come up with effective mechanisms to check the concomitant performance efficiency. In addition, they will have to ask themselves, what kind of pay, incentives, and perks will these workers get, as compared to full-time employees?
Added employer responsibilities for employee well-being
During times of adversity, human beings come together and help each survive, with help coming from the strongest to the weakest. During the COVID-10 pandemic, businesses leaders have exemplified this trend by actively supporting their employees professionally, financially, and mentally.
Extending their care towards their people, entrepreneurs have offered flexible work hours, child care measures, adjusted leaves, and urgent financial support to those in need. Many organizations have also supported their larger communities by adding/modifying operations, donating funds, and taking part in community services.
Data, the new currency
According to recent polls, employers are increasingly resorting to tech-based monitoring of employee efficiency in multiple ways, including biometric systems, email/chat and data/device usage tracking etc. As some businesses store and check data regarding productivity, other companies evaluate their employees’ mental setup and their rapport with peers/superiors. This way, they address any associated complications and ensure better employee experiences.
Tactics to keep track of employees are by no means new. However, they have quickly become central to a well-functioning workforce considering the pandemic; employee monitoring measures are now fully applicable to even WFH employees. On their part, business leaders must protect the confidentiality of such data and responsibly utilize them to find ways of improving employee performance.
Preparing for disruption
Before COVID-19 impacted businesses on an international scale, the functional designs of most enterprises were directed at streamlining operations and maximizing productivity. The pandemic, however, has revealed a fatal flaw in such designs: a lot of businesses are ill-prepared for disruptions.
Now, businesses are learning how to adapt, pivot, and shift their courses according to large-scale changes in business trends. Entrepreneurs are reworking organizational structures and employee-/team-specific roles to ensure improved outcomes in a flexible, mercurial industry.
By now, it is evident that the after-effects of COVID-19 will linger for a long time, heavily impacting existing business trends and creating entirely new ones. In order to thrive in such shifting local and global arenas, businesses will need to adapt and innovate while maintaining a strong workforce, physically and mentally. The trick is to survive, hustle, and excel!
