2021 Trends in the Workplace Series: Individual Impact
Bill Gates made a bold prediction last fall when he suggested that business travel would decrease by 50% after the pandemic. In the same interview, Gates also anticipated that 30% of days in the office would permanently go away. Now, you may think these predictions just apply to big businesses like Microsoft and Amazon. However, we all need to pay attention to these new workplace trends. They are coming faster than we think.
This is the second blog post in a series I started last week: 2021 Trends in the Workplace. I’m diving into these topics because I see clients navigating these changes right now. As an external consultant, I’m curious how these new workplace trends will change the future of work. As an equity & inclusion consultant, I’m also interested in the ways these new trends form with a stronger equity & inclusion lens emerging in the workforce. As Audre Lorde said, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.”
Today I am focusing on the changes being absorbed by employees. We have ALL had to change the way we work and operate in this new pandemic world. At first, we thought the changes were temporary, and then the pandemic lingered on. Now, after a full year, we are realizing that this pandemic will be with us through 2021 at least. In a January 2021 report by McKinsey & Company, the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that at least 20% of the global workforce can work away from the office and maintain effectiveness.
Think about that for a minute. One in five people can work away from the office (aka work from home) and maintain their performance. What does that mean for you? What does that mean for your business? Let’s look at the potential impacts from an employee perspective.
1. Working in an office may not be a requirement anymore. First, let’s recognize that many jobs require you to be in-person, especially frontline and essential workers. This post is addressing jobs that have a location flexibility. In the past, many of us just assumed that office work was required, but now, is it really? Employees now have the precedence (if they’ve worked from home in the pandemic) to ask for a permanent assignment from home or a hybrid work option where part of the week includes in-person office time and the other part is completed from home. If the thought of an employee asking for these kinds of changes creates fear and hostility in you, then I encourage you to investigate the mental model that blocks you from offering these options. The ability to present different working options supports inclusion, as one working arrangement size does not fit all.
2. Some jobs may support more flexible work schedules. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) provides an Effective Workplace Index. Autonomy and Work-Life Fit are two components of an effective workplace. The traditional 8am-5pm schedule doesn’t work for everyone, especially those with other commitments like caregiving and second jobs. And the notion of leaving work at the office is gone. We are connected through technology like never before. In SHRM’s latest study, 38% of employees felt overwhelmed by how much they have to get done at work. Can you imagine what the percentage is now? Flexible work schedules allow employees to focus on getting work done within a set timeframe versus a set day at the office. Flexible work schedules support inclusion.
3. A virtual workplace requires more effort with connection and socialization. It’s been a hot minute since we’ve experienced a friendly experience at the copier without fear. The move to a virtual workplace is a HUGE transition, and we are all still adapting. What we are learning is that connection is more important than ever. A 2020 MIT Sloan Management Review article suggests that “a less-interconnected network of relationships among employees reduces the sense of commitment to one another and to the organization.” One way to support connection is allowing more time for social time in team meetings. Use a check-in question to spark discussion. Try a close-out question to bring closure to a discussion. Connection creates belonging, which supports inclusion.
4. Hybrid workplaces necessitate stronger digital literacy. Writer Paul Gilster defines digital literacy as “the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers.” Think about how much we use technology in our day-to-day work. It’s everywhere, and hybrid workplaces are opening up options for collaborative workspaces, such as Gsuite and even platforms like Miro. Many of these applications offer free training and open source sites. Reward your employees for deepening their digital literacy. I predict that future hiring requirements will include experience with collaborative software and practices. Equip your employees now for the future.
5. The support of a virtual workplace will create new roles. Facilitating virtual meetings is a new skill and typically requires at least two people if done well. Those who learn the skills and technology within the virtual collaboration space will serve as guides for participants. A virtual engagement specialist may help a leader co-design a virtual event to maximize audience participation and minimize distraction. A virtual producer, someone who lays out a production timeline and/or script for a training or event, may be the newest training & development opening. Be open to the needs you have, which might be aligned with someone’s creative talent that they don’t currently use in their role. Creativity and opportunities for learning lead to higher employee engagement.
6. A virtual work option opens up the staffing strategy. If a job can be done remotely, then an employee can work from anywhere. This dramatically opens up the candidate pool to people all over the world, which supports diversity. Employing people in traditional office spaces and virtually is called a distributed workforce. One thing to consider is the pay structure and benefits plan within this new framework, which I will discuss in a few weeks. Spoiler alert: pay that address the costs of living first supports equity. Another staffing trend is the increase of gig jobs. These are short-term and/or contract roles that support a business for a specified amount of time. If the healthcare marketplace allows reasonable options for insurance without employer support, then I predict that more people will move to virtual gig jobs.
I will discuss how these changes and others impact how teams work together next week. In the meantime, use the links provided in this article to conduct your own research. When I read about these trends, I keep thinking it is a great time to conduct listening sessions and focus groups with employees. People are yearning for connection, and a business could provide a place of connection with reflective listening in supportive formats.
This may seem like a lot, but remember, change is taking one small step at a time. As one my favorite authors, Octavia Butler, said in Parable of the Sower, “There is no end to what a living world will demand of you.” Constant change is the next normal for the workplace, no matter where you’re employed. Thankfully, we are all experiencing the next normal together.
Photo by Farhan Abas on Unsplash