More than a year has passed since the world was struck by the pandemic. No one could even imagine that COVID-19 would be a borderline between how things used to be and a new reality. However, thanks to the development of new technologies, the damage caused to the economy was partially mitigated.
Nevertheless, the changes evoked in workplace processes and policies are unstoppable today. When half of the world’s population was locked down, routine work patterns were transformed irreversibly. Today’s use-to-be-office workforce demands freedom of choice when and where to work. Some employees don’t even consider returning to the office.
However, these are just a fe8 Ways How the Pandemic Influences the Future of Workw of the changes that lie on the surface. The pandemic undermined the fundamentals of well-established processes, affecting the future of work and leaving it unpredictable and vague.
Yet, we can discuss how the pandemic influences our routine to get some understanding of what the upcoming years will bring for us.
Remote Work Potential
The pandemic has forced many specialists to consider their remote work potential. Obviously, certain categories of employees simply couldn’t shift to remote work. This often depended on the nature of the tasks they performed rather than their occupation in general.
For example, both an endocrinologist and a surgeon are doctors. Surgeons need to be present in the OR, while endocrinologists can provide e-consults to their patients. The same situation occurs in many industries, forcing employers to reconsider their remote work potential and look for ways to minimize contacts.
Hybrid Models of Remote Work
It’s easy to assume that remote work and all its kinds will stay with us even when the pandemic ceases. People will get used to a new reality so much that bringing them to the office will be a hard task. Thus, some companies plan to give up this idea completely; others intend to agree to hybrid models of remote work to keep going.
After all, as long as an employee handles the assigned duties and tasks, there is no fundamental difference in what model of work they choose. What matters is their KPIs and work accomplishments.
Returning to the Workplace
Many tech companies unanimously agree that they intend to return their workforce to the offices. With or without hybrid models, employees will have to adapt to a workplace once again. They will need to learn to communicate and collaborate without having technologies they are used to so much now.
Also, high chances are that people will become even more demanding to their offices given the fact that they are used to working from the comfort of their homes. Some of them will feel forced when commanded to return, causing them to look for a new job.
Job Search and Outsourcing
Many employers reconsidered the role of outsourcing in their business model. Having no office to pay for, they laid off certain employees while retaining the most critical ones and engaging them in work processes at a distance. It all prepared the ground for a rise of freelancing and outsourcing that are more financially sound for businesses.
At the same time, in this situation, lots of people found themselves out of the offices. They enjoyed newly accrued flexibility and started offering their services at a lower price on a project basis. With that in mind, the interest in full-time employment has already begun to fade, leaving more space for part-time jobs and freelance projects.
Online Interviewing and Business Travels
Business trips accounted for nearly 30% of total air travel in 2019. In 2020, this percentage dropped significantly. However, the international labor market didn’t stop. To get more interviews and land a job, professionals had to craft a winning resume and agree to online meetings. Many accepted that as a new reality and kept businesses running even at a distance.
Today, online job interviews are not something unique. People quickly got used to a new format; most of them would prefer e-meetings to face-to-face interviews nowadays as we do at Skillhub.com. Given the technological advancement and the means for virtual meetings, prospective employees and employers feel at ease while talking at a distance.
Slowing Down Urbanization
The pandemic may have more far-reaching consequences. It has slowed down urbanization and even started a reverse trend. Many people looked for ways to live in suburban and rural areas while big cities were closed. In connection to this, the median rental price of an apartment in San Francisco dropped by 24%.
On the other hand, private house sales outside of metropolises have grown significantly. People decided that if they don’t need commuting every day, spending their time in nature would be a plus. In the future, if remote work continues to prevail, urbanization may no longer be the case.
Adjustments in Companies
It’s not only employees who need to use their career resources in a new way today. Companies should also learn to employ remote job seekers and provide them with all the means needed to work and bring positive outcomes.
This includes the adjustment of the technical infrastructure, modification and extension of onboarding programs, remote team-building efforts, and so on. At the same time, businesses should never discriminate against laborers in any way. The only reason to reject an applicant is if they can’t meet the expected job requirements.
Burnout and Emotional Stress
Certain forms of emotional distress are likely to persist even after COVID-19 is tackled. The companies of the future have to learn how to conduct business facing the risks of depression, burnout, stress, and other mental issues caused by isolation and loneliness.
Also, these companies will have to review their employee benefits. The perks like food services and transportation are likely to lose their effect. Instead, those who send their bot-beating resumes will expect to get better health insurance, psychological therapies, additional compensations, and improved work policies among many other bonuses.
Final Words
The future of work is unclear with many limitations and opportunities standing on its way. Nevertheless, one can see that a new reality that follows the pandemic will bring changes to a traditional workplace and reinvent many processes and policies. All that’s left for us is to accept them and adjust.
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