Two years on: Has Covid changed the world of work forever?
This month marks two years since the World Health Organization announced a global pandemic. Few could have imagined the changes that would entail; overnight, schools were closed, businesses were forced to shut their doors and people across the country swapped their desks for kitchen tables and team lunches for Zoom quizzes.
It has, without a shadow of doubt, been a rollercoaster and employers and employees have had to adapt to new and innovative ways of working that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Now, with the final Covid restrictions lifted and life resuming normality, can we ever go back to the way we were? The short answer is no.
We are returning from the pandemic as a generation of workers who have come to expect more from our jobs – greater flexibility, greater understanding and a greater focus on building inclusive cultures.
For all its pain and devastation, the pandemic has also presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine the way we work and live for the better.
The rise of flexible working
Arguably one of the biggest changes for employees over the past two years has been remote working and it’s clear employees have enjoyed the benefits, from foregoing the cost and drudgery of the daily commute to spending more time with family and friends. One study revealed that nearly half of UK workers want to work from home permanently, with younger workers particularly in favour of the flexibility.
As such, a large number of businesses have responded by introducing a permanent hybrid working model, allowing employees the chance to enjoy the best of both worlds.
We are also seeing the rise of the four-day week, with the UK set to launch a four-day working week pilot in June, which will see 30 companies move to a 32-hour week for six months. This experiment is by no means the first of its kind, but it’s testament to the growing desire among firms to try new and creative ways of working to attract and retain talent. With headlines warning of ‘The Great Resignation’, business leaders are under more pressure than ever to entice their employees back to the workplace with unique and exciting propositions, and ensure they stay ahead in the war for talent.
However, it’s important that with more people working remotely than ever before, leaders take steps to ensure their teams remain connected to one another, engaged and motivated. As human beings, we crave connection and social interactions are crucial to creating a sense of belonging and culture.
While different organisations will operate different hybrid models, leaders should ensure that there are days when whole teams come together. It’s about creating meaningful moments, allowing people to connect, brainstorm, innovate and collaborate and simply enjoy the camaraderie. This will be particularly important for those employees who joined during the pandemic and may not have yet had the chance to meet and forge relationships with their colleagues.
The changing face of leadership
For many, the shared sense of fear, uncertainty and the unknown prompted a shift in the employer-employee relationship.
Empathy emerged as a key leadership trait, as senior leaders became increasingly aware of the importance of being present, really listening and taking the time and care to understand the feelings and thoughts of their employees as they struggled with social isolation, financial worries, health concerns and the stresses of juggling work and family life.
As Martin Luther King famously said – “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge.”
Now, as we move past the pandemic, we will continue to see leaders building businesses that invest in and focus much more upon employee wellbeing. Research has shown that 82% of people would consider leaving their job for a more empathetic organisation and 78% would work longer hours for a more empathetic employer.
At JourneyHR, this has been evident in our conversations with business leaders. They know that investing in their people and creating supportive, caring and happy cultures is critical to success.
Mental health
Throughout the pandemic, we were faced with gloomy headlines warning of the impact on our physical health, but the speed at which life has changed has also had a huge effect on our mental wellbeing too. In the first year of Covid alone, anxiety and depression increased by a staggering 25%.
Beyond the challenges it poses for employees on a personal level, poor mental health can also have a detrimental effect on the overall business, causing an increase in absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover.
While many businesses were proactive in addressing employee mental health before 2020, there is little doubt that the pandemic has accelerated the need for greater support and resources, with over a third of businesses improving their mental health support.
Some firms have chosen to set up group wellbeing sessions, creating a safe space for employees to openly share what is affecting them. Mental health champions have also become more prevalent as well as mental health training for managers. A recent report found that 76% of employers had increased investment in stress management and resilience programmes and 71% were increasing investment with mindfulness and meditation initiatives.
We’ve also seen more leaders willingly speak about their own challenges and struggles, which has helped to break down the stigma that sadly still surrounds mental health.
Going forward, mental health support will no longer be a ‘nice-to-have’ but a must-have, signalling to employees that the business cares about their wellbeing. In contrast, businesses that fail to treat their people with the care and support they have come to expect risk creating a revolving door of talent.
Diversity and inclusion
The death of George Floyd and the ensuing BlackLivesMatter movement sparked a tidal wave of conversation around racial equality and the need for change. Many businesses responded with their own pledges to increase diversity and it’s clear that diversity and inclusion will continue to be high on businesses’ agendas.
But leaders need to be mindful that true diversity is about more than numbers on a spreadsheet. For diversity to truly work and become intrinsic to the business, leaders must focus on building a culture of inclusivity where all employees feel welcomed, valued and given the opportunity to flourish.
Mentorship and allyship will become much more prominent, providing valuable support to employees. When people feel respected and listened to, they are much more likely to be engaged in their work and reach their fullest potential.
Not only is diversity and inclusion simply the right thing morally, but there’s a strong business case too. A report by McKinsey found that 39% of people chose not to pursue a job because of a perceived lack of inclusion and this is only likely to go grow in importance among future generations.
Stemming ‘The Great Resignation’
A survey by recruitment firm Randstad UK found that almost a quarter of workers are looking to change jobs in the wake of the pandemic. But this is likely to be much more than a pandemic-driven fad; the events of the past couple of years have empowered people to reflect, reassess and rethink what they want from their job and their employer and, crucially, what they deserve. Many people have experienced anxiety and burnout and there has been a rise in employees prioritising their own lives and wellbeing.
However, this poses a huge challenge for employers. Not only will businesses have to brace themselves for the consequences of higher turnover, but they’ll have to do so in an increasingly competitive market – all while bouncing back from the effects of the pandemic.
Businesses will need to recognise that the power dynamic has shifted in favour of employees. Leaders who want to keep hold of their people and attract new talent will really need to up their game and put the employee experience at the forefront of their talent strategy. It will no longer be enough to simply provide a decent pay package and benefits; employers will need to offer flexibility, a sense of purpose, opportunities for personal and professional growth and an inclusive culture.
Moving forward, it’s important that employers listen to their employees; whether that’s through employee surveys, encouraging an open-door policy or gathering feedback through mentorship programmes, it’s vital that leaders have their finger on the pulse.
As we look back on the past two years, it’s clear that there have been many lessons to be learned. But as we move forward, we can take what we have learnt to shape business and the way we work for the better.