What if we’ve all been looking at work the wrong way? For over 50 years, people labored away in office buildings five days a week. Commuters spent hours each day trekking into big cities. Once they’ve arrived, the next eight-plus hours were spent sitting at a desk, staring at a computer screen and counting down the clock until it’s time to leave.
The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically changed everything. One of the positive aspects of the outbreak was that it made us start thinking about our work-lives. Before the virus, we did things because of a “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way” mindset. For executives and managers, they didn’t have any motivation to change the standard operational practices, as it was advantageous for them. There was no need to rock the boat and try something new and different, even if it would make things better for their employees.
A black swan event was needed to shake out the complacency—a change so monumental that would leave no other choice than reimagining how work really should be. Well, we got it. The pandemic pushed businesses to embark on one of the largest mass experiments in U.S. history.
Companies nervously sent nearly all of their white-collar professionals home. This unintended, almost-two-year trial proved amazingly successful for companies. Many organizations, particularly the ones that had robust online properties, outperformed any CEO’s wildest expectations. Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and other companies saw their stock prices soar to record highs.
Remote workers found that they enjoyed a considerably better work and life balance. Without long commutes and being chained to cubicles, they blossomed. There was more time to spend with family, friends, hobbies, getting fit and practicing self-care.
The consensus of major corporations coalesced around a hybrid model, in which people would come into an office two or three days a week. The rest of the time, they could work from home or anywhere they’d like. The four-day workweek, chance to work from anywhere, shortened workdays and flexible staggered hours have been put on the table for discussions.
The next big, important, game-changing step could be bespoke work arrangements, which are specifically tailored to the wants and needs of employees. The problem is that companies treat everyone as if they are the same. A single mother with three young children has a much different set of needs than a dual-working couple, earning over $250,000 and has the means to find quality childcare and hire nannies.
There are fast-track professionals who are focused solely on climbing the corporate ladder and couldn’t care less if they work in an office or at the beach—they just want to excel. Others are content with doing a good job, receiving a fair wage and enjoying time off.
Consider how much better work would be if managers held conversations with their team, actively listened to how they’d like to work and then designed the job around their needs. Morning people could start early. Night owls can begin later in the day. Parents with young children won’t have to stress out, racing into work or logging onto the laptop late and getting dirty looks from the boss. They wouldn’t have to sheepishly sneak out early to pick up their kids after school ends.
Remote work may be fantastic for some people. Extroverts and young people who want to learn about what it’s like to be in an office setting may want to come into an office on a regular basis. Introverts may relish doing their work alone without all of the intrusive chit-chat that goes on all day long.
In an effort to avoid workers from succumbing to the “Great Resignation,” leadership should offer employees the opportunity to “job craft” their roles. Job crafting is the process of redefining and reimagining your job design. In collaboration with your boss, you could add new and exciting responsibilities and shed the ones that you find distasteful or never fit with your initial job responsibilities, but somehow landed on your desk or email inbox. You’ll be more engaged and feel fulfilled in your work-life. Doing what you like will make you motivated and the chances are high that you’ll advance, as you’re enjoying work more. People will notice and offer promotions and new opportunities.
If an employee is empowered, feels that their supervisors trust them and have a schedule that’s tailor-made for them, they’ll be happier and highly productive. They’ll greatly appreciate that their bosses listen to and support their work lifestyle.
In a war-for-talent and Great-Resignation environment, by offering customized work models, progressive, forward-thinking leaders will be able to attract, hire and retain the best talent. Marketing and branding this innovative process will serve as an effective recruiting tool. They’ll siphon off all the A-plus players from their competitors who have more rigid rules. By getting and keeping the smartest folks, companies will dramatically increase revenue and profits. The businesses that are too slow to adapt to the revolutionary change in mindset of workers will be left behind in the dust.
Source: Forbes
