TOP 4 WORKPLACE TRENDS OF 2021

It is no surprise that after a pandemic, there are many changes that will inevitably occur in the working world. Although it’s normal for protocols to shift in a work environment as time goes on; due to the unprecedented hurdles over the past year, employees have begun to have higher expectations for their employers. For that reason, it is crucial that your company keep up with market progressions in order to recruit and retain top talent. Here are the top workplace trends you can expect to see emerging over the upcoming year:

 

Employee Wellbeing Support

After the global health crisis, it is now more important than ever that employees feel like their wellness is being looked after. While it used to be that work and personal lives were kept separate, multiple studies have shown that supporting employees through personal matters has helped them perform at a higher level. With technology advancing at a rapid rate, employees have struggled to disengage from their work even when off duty. This has led to burnout, job resentment, and even resignation. It is up to the employer to communicate that employees have the right to disengage and recuperate during their off time. It would also be of benefit to both parties that the company offer resources and programs for mental, physical, and possibly even financial health and wellness.

Upskilling and Reskilling Employees

For a number of reasons, there are many more positions in the current job market than there are people open and willing to fill them. Upskilling and reskilling employees could be a great solution to this. Upskilling is when an organization teaches an employee new skills with the intention of advancing them. Reskilling is when an organization teaches an employee new skills so they have the knowledge and tools to do a different job. Although this may cost more money, as promotions and additional skillsets mean higher wages; expanding employee skillsets will help your company get through employee shortages, call outs, employee vacations, etc. Especially if you are a smaller organization, having employees that are equipped to fill any role will be of massive benefit. In the long term this will increase productivity and profitability for your company on top of more skills and higher pay for current employees.

Hybrid Workplace Model

While many employers were resistant to the idea of employees working from home prior to the pandemic, many of them were surprised to find that this model actually benefitted them. Several companies found that by allowing employees to work remotely, they saved on rent and utilities by ending the lease on some of their offices. Though your company may not have the ability to go entirely remote, giving qualified employees an option to work part-time in the office and part-time remotely will without question boost both productivity and employee morale. Also, if you choose to reskill and cross train employees, this will give workers who wouldn’t have previously qualified to work remotely the ability to do so once in a while. The pandemic has most definitely resulted in lifestyle changes and shifts in how employees view their jobs. Now that so many have experienced the feeling of working from home, they have a new standard for what their work life must look like.

Scheduling Flexibility

It used to be that the only people with flexible schedules were gig workers and freelancers. Now, more and more companies are letting go of the rigid 9-5 schedule and are giving their employees more autonomy. While it sounds like a perk that solely benefits the employee, companies are noticing that by allowing their people to work when they feel they are most productive, they: attract top talent, have longer employee retention rates, and have a better reputation as a place to work. As time goes on, it is projected that there will be much more emphasis on employee output and less focus on the number of hours worked.

The three key components of scheduling flexibility are:

1. Letting employees choose where they work from
2. Letting employees create their own schedule
3. Letting employees build their own work day

If your company is in search of new talent, we would be happy to help you here.