Flexible Work To Be The New Norm of 2021

image

In 2020, Covid-19 has changed all of our life activities, and work isn't an exception. Work has turned out to be an activity that people can practice anywhere, not only in offices. Also, businesses are looking for talents, not only employees with years of experience and bachelor's degree.

So, flexible job models will be the new standard in the coming year, soaring the scale of employee engagement, productivity, and economic gains. And four primary trends will empower them:

Opponents become supporters

The global remote work system application that resulted from the pandemic has altered long-standing stereotypes about remote work. Although managers and business owners were always convinced that it is unlikely that 'actual jobs' will be accomplished outside the workplace, they are now aware of the positive effect on staff engagement, work-life balance, mental health, costs, and the environment.

According to a survey undertaken by Citrix and OnePoll, 70 out of 10,000 employees over six countries feel they are more productive while working from home. And 83 believe they have a stronger work-life balance when they work outside the workplace.

In the coming year, savvy businesses are taking this into consideration to implement technology-enabled remote work models that will allow them to tap into new capabilities and talent pools beyond switching distances to conventional work hubs (offices, call centers, etc.) and enjoy the advantages they offer.

Employees will escape offices

Due to Covid-19 precautionary measurements of social-distancing, screening, and wearing masks, many employees will escape going to the office every day to avoid this anxiety.

64 out of 2,000 US employees who replied to a separate Citrix-OnePoll survey said they did not feel safe going back to the office for one month or more. And three percent say they don't want to go back to full time.

Recognizing this, businesses can reimagine the workplace's design and transition from designing sites to purpose-built environments to enable employees to interact quickly and successfully with coworkers, collaborators, and clients to promote productivity and value.

Location doesn't matter

If you seek a big career, you have to relocate to a big city to find and enjoy it. But as the job has gone virtual, the place has become less critical to career advancement and development than ever before. One in four respondents to another Citrix survey of 2,000 US knowledge employees suggested that they have left their city homes or are preparing to do so because:

  • Their work is now 100% remote and will be permanent (37%)
  • They only ought to go to the workplace once a week (25%)
  • The pandemic has proved that they can do their work from everywhere (22%)

Businesses will follow, attract, and retain top talents

Even the light of the pandemic, the severe searching for talents has not stopped. It has only escalated in several cases as firms adapt their companies to adapt to changing market conditions and consumer needs. Although talented professionals might be few, they are everywhere.

According to a survey undertaken by the Centre of Economics and Business Research (Cebr), if given the opportunity, 95 percent of the 2,500 knowledge employees surveyed who are working claim they will work from home on average 2.4 days a week. And between 60% and 70% said they would do so from nearby coffee shops, shared workplaces, and other distant locations at least one day a week.

Due to flexible work models and digital workplace technologies, businesses will hire a neglected segment of talented employees who have in-demand skills but have left out because typical work models did not suit their lives or responsibilities. Also, it didn't offer the space need to work and succeed from anywhere. And by doing so, Cebr forecasts that economic gains across the US economy will grow by more than $2 trillion and raise GDP by 10.2%.

Although the future is unpredictable, obstacles will undoubtedly hinder businesses' plans in the coming year. Most companies that adopt flexible models and emerging technology will build a new operating way that enables employees to do their best and push their company's progress.

Read Also: