If we know one thing for certain in these pandemic times, it is the fact that the workplace is different in 2021 and industry leaders now need to prepare for the changes that have come and are yet to come.

A quick recap of the known changes, training and retraining of employees is now part of any strategy for 2021, especially as the workplace is constantly evolving and the demographic of the workforce is also changing. Whether you start your start-up or have an existing company, you must take workplace trends into account when defining your office culture. Trends in the workplace are largely oriented towards the changing world of work and hinting towards the need for more flexible working hours. New approaches to retention focus on how to build and maintain a strong and diverse workforce and a healthy work-life balance. Another fundamental change that is looming in 2021 is how business leaders and human resources teams now approach hiring and retaining employees. 2021 will be a landmark year for businesses and employees as they strive to preserve the best of both worlds, personal and professional. 

According to a news report by the Institute for Labour Market and Occupational Research, companies that fail to take account of workers changing expectations of flexible working hours could end up losing good talent. With more remote work, there will be a shift where companies will try to do more with less.

We believe that by 2021, many companies will make their strategies about introducing decentralized employment, decentralized work and a decentralized workforce. As employers and HR managers adapt to this new strategy in 2021, they will also in parallel need to focus on improving employee well-being. 

All this with one goal in mind – productivity

While some teams under the guidance of a great leader seem to get things done effortlessly. Others struggle to even meet deadlines. Physical and mental well-being has always been the major reason affecting teams as well as individual productivity. A study revealed that even before the pandemic, around 61% of the workforce admitted that they’re burned out at their current job and nearly 31% experienced a high level of stress at work. 

Business leaders must join hands with team leaders and HR to work on creating a work-life balance to ensure smooth functioning and higher productivity. 

The goal of any HR leader and manager is to ensure that their team is productive even now. To ensure this, policymakers and leaders must provide contexts, create enabling spaces, and identify specific times that emphasize productivity. When employees experience positive vitality and well-being they will be more productive. But when people are exhausted or stressed, or when their work habits become unhealthy, their productivity is exhausted. An enabling work environment allows employees to focus, and that too helps them to be highly productive. When attention is scattered, the focus suffers from a lack of coordination and communication between people in the team or even between different groups which results in low productivity. 

Looking forward:

The Glassdoor’s Workplace Trends for 2021 report identified several positive changes in 2020 that have worked and are forecasts that will continue to evolve. Here are five trends that companies should be aware of as they look ahead to 2021 while adjusting to the hybrid work environment. These are just some of the changes in the workplace that are likely to set the tone and trends for 2021 and beyond, but they are not the only ones.

• Don’t move too fast 

Individual preferences will take time to become clear and they might need time to adjust to the new change and so will the organization. With tomorrow being uncertain and no one knows what change in government norms and what side of the world will impact the business, the approach must be to take slow steps. In a hybrid work environment, rather than thinking about the long-term, leaders can go slow by setting milestones at shorter intervals, say  3 months instead of yearly milestones. These goals will help individuals to marry with their personal goals. 

• Install a robust digital infrastructure

Ensuring a basic level of well-functioning, and reasonably-priced digital infrastructure is a must. In a hybrid workplace where half the workforce is working remotely and the other half is performing their day-to-day function from the office, it is necessary that everyone is virtually connected and have access to every work-related detail, anytime and anywhere. Leaders must allow experimentation with commercial IP interconnection agreements to benefit innovation and growth in the overall digital ecosystem. But having a robust digital infrastructure alone is not enough, it is necessary to ensure that every individual is trained for using the infrastructure.

• Personalized motivation

There are multiple ways to motivate a team and one of the most popular ways to motivate team members before the lockdown was team lunch that not only motivated teams to achieve more but was also a great team-building initiative. In a hybrid workplace, arranging a team lunch is nearly impossible. Leaders will have to focus on personalizing motivation as far as possible. This is the way to future motivation. One of the popular ways that are gaining momentum with team leaders is leveraging technology and the use of gamification to foster motivation. 

• Drum up recognition

Turn up the volume of recognition, leaders. When work is not recognized employees are likely to feel disengaged. During remote working or hybrid working where teams don’t meet every day, it is difficult to ensure the recognition is visible to all. This creates a physical barrier that dilutes the power of recognition. To ensure recognition and appreciation is given at the right time and is visible to all, turn up the volume by making it accessible to all by publishing it on social platforms, intranet platforms, internal newsletters and other collaborative platforms. 

• Training and learning and development 

With the constant change in the situation, every step demands the employee to stay up for any new challenges which requires them to be up-to-date with the latest technology and knowledge. Other than that they may also require new skills to function in this new work environment. And another aspect is that conducting physical group training might not be possible now, leaders must focus on e-learning, self-learning and on-the-go learning.  

Lastly, there is no doubt that skill-based training and learning will play a key role even during hybrid working but a lot of companies have introduced self-care training during remote working, like regular yoga sessions, and have even shared easily accessible podcasts on various topics to promote on-the-go learning. These initiatives should continue even after the COVID-19 issues as this will help companies maintain a happier and productive workforce.  

In the year 2020 we have been talking about change, change, change, now change has become a constant factor even for everyday decisions. What everyone has learned is that the outcome may not have to change or be different, but how we bring about the same outcome with a different approach will determine one’s success. Therefore, success will largely depend on how quickly we adopt the changes and what innovations we bring in our strategies, processes and practices. 

Leaving you with a simple symbolic thought, take an example of a car, the current situation is very much like a broken down car. If you have a car that has punctured tyres, there is no need to change the entire car, all you need is to fix the puncture and the car will be mobile again. Net-net, repair or modify and keep going. 

To stay up to date on the latest developments affecting your business, subscribe to our newsletter and check our blog regularly. To re-define your workplace culture in 2021 and beyond, contact our A-team to understand more about small shifts that can bring a huge difference to your work culture. Contact us now!