The pandemic has changed the way we do work forever. COVID-19 has flipped the world of work upside down as many of us have spent most of 2020 apart from our colleagues, and logged-in every day to greet one another from our homes, living spaces, or other places of work. This year, we faced the adjustments on the “New Normal” and we are slowly moving towards a hybrid method of working.
One thing is certain: The new remote-working landscape that was quickly crafted by 2020 will not disappear soon. Working remotely, at least partially, seems to be the future of work for many companies. While organizations may have a better understanding of technical issues than they did at the beginning of the year, there are still many challenges to overcome if this “new normal” is to be successful.
Here are some of the changes we will see in the “New Normal” and what we can expect.
Smart offices and workplace digitization
The new virtual workplaces sprung as a solution for the pandemic in 2020. This time, workplaces are driven by technology and data offer exciting opportunities for employees to balance productivity and performance while fostering employee engagement.
Analytics help companies improve their workflow and management. With people analytics solutions, AI assistants, and workflow management tools, organizations can eliminate some unnecessary and tedious processes on traditional workplaces. This way, businesses can embrace a new era for workplace digitization.
Companies can use workforce data and predictive analysis to provide high-quality, personalized experiences for employees such as benefits, rewards, and learning based on personal experiences, tacit and explicit preferences. Organizations can include AI-powered coaches that can identify the skills and experience each employee requires to feel challenged, and make suggestions for improvements.
Smart offices are more interconnected through the IoT, and some processes in the office are automated by smart devices like smart locks, smart switches, smart light, and smart home assistant, among others.
Value of freelancers
Remote work could have an impact in the geographical distribution of the workforce, especially after the pandemic. Now that employees are empowered to work anywhere, many of them may plan to move to another area. Businesses are also able to handle remote work in terms of the talent they can hire. Nowadays, many of them will consider hiring globally especially when the work can be done remotely. Companies are also open-minded in working with freelancers for gig-based tasks and are open with more flexible employment.
Welfare-driven technology and leadership
Businesses will need to rethink office spaces in light of the possibility that employees may work from home at times, or most of the time. This will force them to consider how they can regain some of the benefits of having a shared space for collaboration and communication. Businesses will need to combine technology with empathy leadership skills to boost productivity.
Technology remained stable and there was evidence of improved productivity, agility, and collaboration. As the days get shorter and the restrictions continue, the pandemic has started to take its toll on people’s mental health. “The magic” of collaboration seems harder to find as it becomes increasingly difficult to find. Empathy and human leadership are key to better well-being in the workplace. The leader and the line manager must be considered in order to truly care for the wellbeing of their employees. This should be reflected in the culture of the company.
Consolidation of roles, upskilling, and reskilling
Many organizations had to increase their digital ambitions to survive the coronavirus pandemic, which was followed by an exodus of employees. The demand for tech skills grew as companies switched to new automation, cybersecurity and cloud capabilities. Organizations in 2021 will begin thinking about how they can consolidate necessary skills into singular, “super-specialization” roles, capable of handling a number of specific business-process roles remotely.
Workers will also be able to reskill and upskill in specific areas without needing to retrain. This will improve their employment prospects and allow them to move into new tech-driven jobs. Reskilling will be evident where workers specialize on tasks to perform specific tasks. Soft skills like authentic and compassionate leadership are important in the New Normal workplace as well.
Job democratization with remote hiring
Although video interviews and remote assessments were a part of the hiring process for a long time, digital tools have become the basis of recruitment and onboarding in 2020 due to the new realities created by COVID-19 lockdowns.
Many companies will want to keep using the tools that they have invested so much time and effort into and now that they have created the framework and seen the cost- and time-savings associated with it, there is no reason to go back.
These days, an organization’s hybrid hiring process incorporating virtual and in-person elements is likely to become the norm once on-site work is an option. However, some candidates may experience a completely online hiring process, not setting foot on the office floor until they are onboarded, and some may not even set foot on an office at all.
According to LinkedIn’s most recent Future of Recruiting Report 81% believe that virtual recruitment will continue after COVID, while 70% agree that it will be the new standard. Workers who may not have been able to afford to relocate to higher-cost-of-living areas might be able to find work in other places. This will increase the accessibility of jobs and allow for the transfer of skills. Remote-work options can help companies find diverse talent faster, particularly from underrepresented groups or with skills that are less readily available locally.
The bottomline
The future of work is digital, virtual, and tech-driven. With countries slowly getting back to going out, employees are can expect to improvements of workplaces through efficient smart offices and devices, personalized workforce management that centers in employee growth and well-being.
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