The health crisis caused by covid-19 is currently disrupting our lives and has major consequences for our professional future. Indeed, companies have had to adapt in record time and have even been “forced” to rethink their relationship to time and space. Nevertheless, has this crisis definitively changed our outlook on work? How to reinvent work for the future? What is the business we want to create tomorrow? Explanations!
The future of work: between re-engagement of employees and adaptability of the company!
Faced with the unprecedented health crisis that we are currently experiencing, it is imperative for companies to adapt, transform but above all to reinvent themselves in order to respond to health, organizational and also human challenges. Covid-19 and confinement are undeniably changing our outlook on the world of work and the period lends itself to changes in individual and collective mentalities. While for many years, specialists have been talking about the “future of work” without being able to really dwell on it, currently the subject is more than topical. And the main task of every business today is to reinvent work! How to act effectively and sustainably?
First of all, it is necessary to clearly explain to all of its employees the purpose of the company and especially not to hide behind values that it does not apply. These are essential because they allow you to move in the same direction with the same flame and the same desires! These are cultural rites to live and share together.
Also, the employer must devote some of its managerial practices and HR innovation to the subject of the recognition of its employees. The latter is often defined as the “poor relation” of French companies! This epidemic crisis shows that they need to be pampered by going through a reinvented work environment, believing that it is a guarantee of productivity. More than ever, recognition is essential! By valuing its employees, the company shows that it is aware of the importance of their role and their commitment. It’s about encouraging them and thanking them! However, how can you make your employees want to work efficiently when the future is uncertain? How can the company be transformed in a sustainable way in such a special context? This is indeed a heavy task …
Then, it is also undeniable that the future of work lies in the balance of face-to-face and remote work. Moreover, this crisis has shown that large-scale teleworking is possible and companies would like to capitalize on this experience because it has revealed 3 major points:
- The importance of the manager’s role
- The importance of human capital
- Employee autonomy
In addition, new ways of working must be imagined and implemented very quickly. Thus, adaptation must be made at 2 levels: the evolution of managerial behavior and the adaptation of innovative tools. Managerial culture must imperatively be based on trust because the main objective is to maintain and perpetuate team cohesion. The manager must be a coach! Regarding digital tools, innovation and adaptability must be the key words because digital is considered as a facilitator! Collaborative applications have exploded in recent months and it is necessary to show imagination and find new devices for experiences.
Finally, it seems essential to rethink the use of workspaces and put them at the service of people. The function and utility of the offices must be taken into account. Thus, innovative physical space models must be created and work must be able to be done anywhere! Does this mean the end of offices? What balance should be adopted between virtual and real spaces?
Obviously, the key to collective success in current working conditions will be to take the human factor into account in collective performance and to put in place new methods of collaboration that are always smarter and more agile. Communication and management will be the keys to success in the future of work!
The future of work: between professional reinvention and personal reinvention!
Current career paths are less fluid than before and considerable work must be done to reinvent both professional and personal life. Since the beginning of this crisis, the main objective of individuals is now to find a job or an activity that coincides with their values, their personality as well as their choice of life. Repeated lockdowns have made them question the value of what they do at work
Good to know: the future of work is here and is not so scary! We are in a “reinvention” opportunity! Indeed, this health crisis is a revelation for many HR specialists. It accelerated a desire or a latent need for retraining and highlighted the questions of each and the notion of “useful profession”. For many employees, it has acted as a detonator and the world after is certainly the best time to breathe fresh air!
Moreover, if individuals need renewal, it is because they are dissatisfied with what has become of their position, their working conditions or quite simply their company. For the latter, it is essential to turn to professions that have meaning because it is in a way “to find yourself”! Sense of work, respect and social utility: these are the terms most used in recent months!
It is truly the moment to redefine the value of each profession and why not start a professional transition or a professional retraining! Has the latter become the new career plan? The future will tell…
In addition, it is necessary to remember that since this great upheaval, it would seem that young graduates are turning to positions that make sense to them, particularly related to people and the environment. Now is the time to maintain their skills and manage their careers flexibly as their expectations have changed. Will we have future employees with specific ideas about what they want and don’t want?
Note it: one in two young people has changed their professional plan because of the pandemic!
From a more personal point of view, confinement and wearing a mask all day are events that have awakened the consciousness of individuals, and that, regardless of age!
Ultimately, this epidemic crisis allows the acceleration of an awareness of the current organizational modes of work. For the first time in decades, this is the unique opportunity to take large-scale initiatives to sustainably reinvent work and demonstrate innovation! Nevertheless, will the stake of employee engagement in the transformation of the company be met? Will companies be able to give their employees all the attention they need? Will the ways of working really change for both the employer and the employees? To be continued …
If you need advice, on a new work organization to rethink , feel free to Contact us .
Our HRD in timeshare will be happy to advise you and assist you in the implementation.
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