By Sarah Hernon, Principal Consultant at Right Management
2020 was a whirlwind year, with two lockdowns and a huge impact on the way that organisations operate. Businesses have been forced to implement remote working overnight and this has accelerated changes in how work is conducted and how workforces are engaged.
Now that employees have adapted to operating in a digital world, it will be nigh on impossible to go back, with remote working firmlyhere to stay. At the same time, many other new ways of working are being experimented with – or emerging out of sheer necessity.
This has many ramifications for the workplace as we know it. So, what does that mean for employees, organisations and leaders?
Employees regain control
The traditional nine-to-five working day has been changing over the last decade – but the pandemic has really put the final nail in its coffin. Lockdown means many employees are balancing work with childcare and education duties, which has led to a shift towards output based working practises. This means employees have more freedom to work when they can, rather than in a dedicated timeframe.
This, in turn, leads to a rise in ‘Self Management’: a phenomenon that empowers individual team members to operate independently, discovering how best to get the job at hand completed in a way that works for them.
Alongside this, we are seeing a sharpened appraisal of how many workers view their careers. The long commute to the office is suddenly not so appealing to many that have become accustomed to working from their living rooms. There is also an awakening to the fact that doing a job effectively is as much about personal fulfilment as it is about technical know-how and experience.
As we move into the future, career ownership and employee fulfilment are likely to be top of the agenda for many, particularly the most sought-after employees with in-demand skills. This will have implications for talent management and succession planning strategies as the crisis subsides.
Increased outplacement
The pandemic has had a harsh impact on the economy and more and more businesses are forced to make redundancies, as they feel the pinch. The latest figures show redundancies are at a record high of 314,000, which goes to show how difficult the situation is.
Some organisations have placed decisions about transformation and potential redundancies on hold until they can see greater clarity and a potential return to ‘the norm’ – whatever this may be. The question presented by this is a difficult one: how do you maintain productivity and engagement levels across employees who either already know (or anticipate) that they may be ‘going’ when the current situation subsides?
One way that organisations can address this issue is by bringing forward career support programmes by essentially creating a ‘pre-outplacement’ scheme for employees that are at risk of losing their jobs once the pandemic passes.
Several of the key components of traditional outplacement programmes can be made available so that employees can begin preparing for change in advance of whenever that may be, looking at where their skills could take them in the future – whether that’s inside or outside their current organisation. Examples include access to one-on-one career coaching sessions, participating in online career learning events and being given tools to assist with individual career goals.
A new leader for a new normal
Leadership has completely changed as a result of COVID-19, with the requirements of leading remotely presenting a unique set of challenges. Leaders in the new normal will need to build trust, maintain engagement and enhance performance during a difficult period of change and uncertainty.
These leaders need to think differently and act differently, showing empathy and fostering open channels of communication. This will help to both build unity and foster collaboration as organisations transform post Covid-19.
The need to identify and nurture home grown leaders will also be imperative – and some organisations are already re-gearing their talent and succession programmes to get ahead of the game. One thing that hasn’t changed is that talent is a key organisational differentiator. It’s never been more important to have the right people in the right roles – and the organisations that flex their workforce strategies to engage and retain the best and brightest will come out on top.
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