The future of work: 8 post-pandemic work trends

The COVID-19 crisis was a sudden blow to the business world. Routine work schedules were turned upside down so many companies embraced the drastic changes that came along the way and jeopardized the existence of a few others.

Organizations around the world are fighting the crisis and innovating working models to adapt to the current circumstances. Well, these changes challenge the rudimentary workings of organizational work and act as catalysts to reshape the future of work after COVID-19.

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What is the future of work after COVID-19: 8 job trends to expect?

We have done some research and tried to analyze what the future holds for employees and employers. These are the 8 aspects that can set trends and reshape the future of work after COVID-19.

1. Hybrid workspaces: the new normality for employees:

"Would the office work model prevail?"
"Will remote work take over the current work model?"

These are the questions that have been kicking around ever since the crisis brought drastic changes to working patterns around the world. Even the most reluctant companies have been forced to implement a mix of in-office, remote, and semi-remote working models due to the limitations imposed by the pandemic. In short, hybrid workspaces are gradually coming into vogue and we anticipate that this model will dominate the future. This is why.

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Hybrid workspaces enhance the autonomy and flexibility of employees in the way they work. This model allows employees to decide on three main factors that can affect productivity: when, where, and how to work in the best possible way that can help create a balance in both work and personal life.

Well, a fully remote workspace would have been expected to emerge in the future, here's what we found: Although around 48% of employees are expected to work remotely even after COVID-19, there are still 52% who want the opposite, so hybrid work may be the most comprehensive work model for the future.

Even employers have liked this unexpected evolution at work, as, again, 60% of companies report an increase in individual employee productivity. Judging by these trends, hybrid workspaces are dressing up to take over the future of work post-COVID-19.

2. Tech-driven workspaces: cozy extensive data collection

When offices were full of staff before, employers and managers could simply walk by an employee's booth and review or even appraise their work, but now considering the current scenario, the aforementioned is not a viable option.

Since the outbreak, employers have been turning to various technologies to power their organizations. From virtual assistance systems to employee engagement software (to assess employee engagement); SaaS tools have made this all too easy for businesses around the world. Gartner notes that 16% of employers today rely on technology more often than ever to monitor their workforce.

Well, of course, organizations were using unconventional tools to track employee productivity, attendance, and other data even before the crisis.

This trend is about to escalate into the future due to growing numbers in remote and hybrid work.

Therefore, it could be said that companies will turn to technology to monitor and track various important data associated with the productivity of their employees even after COVID-19.

3. Remote work policies: renewed and strengthened.

Well, this shouldn't have been a surprise. We all know that remote work is here to stay. 74% of companies plan to permanently incorporate remote work. A decade or so ago, "working from home" was nothing more than a buzzword, but today we know that it plays a huge role in future employment trends.

Many companies' remote work policies were enforced with restrictions due to fears of deteriorating performance, but that was until the crisis. The current state of remote work for employees around the world eliminates all of these fears. Remote workers are now 35-40% more productive and this percentage is expected to grow.

Due to this progress, companies will encourage remote work even after COVID-19 and review remote work policies to make it more flexible and relevant in workspaces. Big fish like Twitter have already modified their remote work policies regarding their shift to a "distributed workforce."

4. Flexible working hours: the descent from 9 to 5.

When it comes to work, COVID-19 has also had a positive impact. Today, employees and employers work based on mutual trust and respect. Without the physical limits of office space, we see employers relax restrictions and promote flexible work hours. The 9 to 5 time is slowly fading away, much to the delight of the workers.

With greater flexibility, employees cannot only balance work and personal life but also improve mental health and increase productivity.

5. Virtual meetings: replacement of face-to-face meetings.

Virtual collaborative platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc. have improved the productivity of remote work. From stand-ups to meetings, these tools have made working from home very easy; a relief for both collaborators and employees. Concerns can be addressed, ideas can be exchanged, and work progress can be updated; you can do almost everything that is done in a face-to-face meeting.

Is a face-to-face meeting what you prefer? Well, then there's Zoom and Google Meet to fulfill your wishes. Video conferencing has become a powerful tool in today's scenario. An invitation and a few clicks. That is all that is needed. Now would you like to fit a chair into your already full meeting room? Of course, no. That's why virtual meetings will have a place in the post-COVID-19 future of work.

6. Impact-driven work: focus shifts to outputs rather than inputs.

A few months ago, the productivity of workers depended heavily on their time at the desk, the sheets taken and many other visual aspects that could be tracked by the "eyes" of the manager. But with the crisis, all these rules have been reversed.

Managers no longer have access to verify what their employees are doing, except depending solely on the results and impacts that employees bring to their business, which also allows them to truly measure productivity. This gives employees a chance to prove themselves without being supervised from time to time. Being a win-win situation, impact-driven work will be the future.

7. Social impacts: a new addition to the priorities.

When the first wave of coronavirus hit the world, companies and corporations could be seen burning the midnight oil to mitigate the situation. While some organizations like Reliance and Tata Group donated money, masks, and sanitizers, others sat down to create free tools to help NGOs and partner organizations get through the situation.

When social good is combined with productivity and profit, the impact is surreal. The whole world has the opportunity to heal and grow together with companies. In addition, customers and even employees connect deeply with organizations that adhere to the values and work to achieve them. The world you see today is an example of the statement. The result of prioritizing social good has been excellent throughout and is helping people to fight through difficult times. Well, we believe that this uplifting trend will continue and social impacts will be a priority even in the future.

8. Skill recognition: the fall of office policies.

With hybrid working being the new normal, office politics will lessen and skills will lead to the future of work. Well, we know that sounds too good to be true, but we anticipate this change in the next few years.

As we mentioned earlier, visual checklists will be a thing of the past. Managers essentially don't need to see what employees are doing to measure their engagement and productivity at work. The results, driven by skills, will do the talking from now on.

The current work-from-home scenario has pushed companies to follow planned, organized, and unbiased processes. The focus has shifted to metrics that drive impact. If employees get amazing results, they can turn the tide, no matter how bad they are at marketing.

Well, these are the trends that we think will reign over the future of work after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. We understand that 'post COVID' seems like a stretch to many, but we believe the day will surely come. We don't know how soon, but we certainly know that a pandemic-free future awaits us. When it does, we sincerely hope that companies will carefully sift through the good and bad of the COVID-affected work environment and incorporate it into their working lives.