As another year of the pandemic is here, there is no question that the nature of work changes, and nothing can stop it. The well-being of the companies and their employees depends on it, and it’s up to these people how they’re going to make it work in the long term since we don’t expect things would go back to normal. The new normal is just evolving nonstop like everything else.
Hybrid Becomes the Working Norm
While friction in working with the hybrid model still exists, it can become the standard work setup for companies since there will always be a role that can’t be played in places other than the office.
In 2021, leaders are being convinced to allow their employees to make choices to work wherever they’re most comfortable and most productive. This year, however, will be more focused on allowing employees to have the flexibility to work whenever it’s most convenient for them. The world is indeed trying new things and finding more ways to prevent productivity from declining. As of now, it has resulted in much confusion about when and where employees are working.
Companies that have successfully engaged in non-synchronous work flexibility are much more mindful about reevaluating their HR operating systems and being more cloud-based to manage operations better and more accurately. Virtual meetings become shorter and are replaced with emails to save more time and adapt to the asynchronous work setup.
Flexibility Has Different Meanings
Before the pandemic affected the world, human resources enforced regulations applied to everyone. In the past two years, employers and leaders have become more understanding to their employees, being compassionate about one another’s well-being. Because of this, they have refocused HR toward employee experience.
It is now well-understood and well-accepted that each employee has different needs. Since the in-favors of retaining remote work and return-to-the-office are still 50/50, the employers may still struggle on which they should convey. This is how the hybrid model happened. Now, companies are empowering employees with the autonomy to decide which work setup is best for them.
While flexibility is convenient, it still requires a lot of aspects that you didn’t much have when working together in an office. Remote and hybrid setup requires more than just skillful leadership. Although being skillful is helpful in the workplace where all of you stayed under the same schedule, managing remote employees depends more on understanding, encouragement, and responsibility.
Management Teams Need to Be More Strategic
To avoid the recurrence of the Great Resignation, a management team should realize that their employees deserve better. Most of the time, employees don’t quit because of the work or the company. They quit because of their bosses. Therefore, senior leaders have to boost their management skills and raise their compassion.
As predicted, enforcing remote work is no longer just a temporary solution to pandemic lockdowns, but it has become a standard work culture next to the hybrid model. Having a remote work strategy is critical to business continuity, just as they are anticipated for productivity and succession. Companies that offer remote or hybrid work get more hires than the ones that don’t since they reduce conflict and friction.
It’s not just employee management that requires a strategy, but financial management as well. Whether companies work remotely or on-site, they have to find better ways to manage their finances, or they can lose control any day. A mortgage company would not want to issue a loan to a homebuyer without a strategic plan, and the same thing goes for a commercial lender. Thus, you must have a strategic plan under the constant change or work setup.
Hiring More Freelance Talent
As an employer, you want to optimize hiring employees who will stick around as long as possible. However, employers are not the only ones who are picky about talent; talent is also picky about companies to work for. While the hybrid setup can be more beneficial, companies are also looking into hiring freelancers to fill gaps or minor setbacks.
Freelancers often work with more than one project for more than one company, so it’s clear how much they can do. Some companies have already reinforced this type of work blend. Many are still adjusting to it since they’re more in need because of the huge changes that have happened in the last two years.
Integrating full-time employees and independent contractors into the workforce will allow you to retain talent in your company. As many people look into work-life balance integration, companies that support it will be in the best state to be highly improved, productive, and competitive.
The way people work has changed drastically in the span of two years, and its integration into the lives of both employers and employees has increased. It has been a challenge to learn new ways, conducting trial and error to create a world that’s better for each industry. With these predictions, people will expect less and can prepare for whatever comes their way.
