Future of work after covid 19
There is no doubt that the onset of covid 19 has disrupted the traditional working patterns or styles. In response to the crisis, individuals and organizations are still coming up with innovative strategies that will help prevent economic disruptions across industries. It would include aspects like working overtime, workplace change, workforce change, etc. if you consider the significant changes the employees faced after covid 19. You can pinpoint it to HR and adapt to the new technology to keep the organization running effectively. Though this takes time initially, it also increases productivity and service.
Health care in the US and the changes post-Covid
Hospitals and health care centers in and around the US are making changes to meet the demand that keeps increasing with time. This, however, was in the pre-pandemic period. However, these settings stressed their breaking points during the pandemic period. Moreover, they had to open up new ways of thinking and find solutions that were forced by necessity to meet the demands for expanded care. This also meant that they had to address vital needs outside the hospital walls. It included food insecurity, transportation access, and other social determinants of health.
After the pandemic
Let us have a glance at the healthcare sector changes after the pandemic.
- The arcane regulations that restricted you from accessing health care have been eased. The Medicaid services that set up limits in coverage for accessing telemedicine services increased the coverage you can access for such services.
- Physicians no longer need a separate license for each state to practice there. This has been put forth by both the state and the federal government.
- Telemedicine might soon become popular in a bid to ensure social distancing.
- Employers are under pressure to bolster health reimbursement arrangements.
- Nursing homes and assisted facilities will lose prominence. People will look for home health aides.
- The Pharma companies will invest and engage in research and development activities in a big way. The NIH might reexamine the rules and regulations to provide the license for new drugs.
- There is a proposal to increase the health care workforce to handle emergencies.
- A network of retired doctors is also being developed. This is part of efforts to increase preparedness to meet emergencies.
However, these are just a few evident changes. There could be some related changes that might happen too.
Work trends that have emerged
As mentioned earlier, adopting new technology for work and HR are two aspects that have changed drastically after the pandemic. Let us consider the HR trends that have emerged due to the pandemic disruption. This is considering the changes in how people work and how the businesses are getting done. The important HR trends include
Remote working
Studies indicate that about 48% of the workers will work remotely after the pandemic. It was previously about 30% or so. But, this also means that the employees have to be competent to collaborate digitally. Also, they should be prepared to adjust to the new normal. The organizations also have to develop a proper performance goal and develop an evaluation process that suits the remote work environment.
Data collection
It is a challenge for the HR department to monitor the employees and productivity. Therefore, they come up with aspects such as
- Virtual in and out clocking
- It is monitoring internal communication that includes chat, emails, etc.
- Tracking work done
- Tracking computer usage
And other non-traditional monitoring tools. Also, they monitor the employee’s safety and health data as well. However, the challenge is to follow the best practices to obtain and use the information properly.
Contingent workers
There has been an increase in the contingent workforce. The economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has led workers to adopt newer work models. The organizations are also responding to the changing scenario by following flexible workforce management. This includes going in for contingent workers. This will help them save costs. Studies indicate that about 32% of the organizations are going in for contingent workers to replace the full-time employees. However, the challenge is for HR to determine whether they are eligible to get full-time employees’ benefits.
The approach of the organization
There are indeed two types of approaches that the organizations may follow. At the same time, certain organizations would prioritize the well-being of employees. However, you even have organizations that push employees to work in risky conditions with very little support. This surely affects the employee experience. However, creating a culture of inclusiveness will help increase productivity.
Role of top tier employers
The demand that the employees have at any point in time is transparency in performance analysis and pay. However, now the employees perceive an organization by how the organization has treated them during the pandemic. Some of the factors that will help build the employment brand include
- The CEOs and executive leaders accept pay cuts rather than pass the buck to the broader employee base that earns less.
- Implementing cost-saving measures that do not affect the employees drastically
- Communicating openly and frequently with the employees to let them know the position of the organization and the support they are extending.
- Organizations may arrange for talent sharing prospects with other organizations in a bid to relocate employees displaced from their job location due to Covid 19.
Change in focus
Results from a survey by Gartner on Organization design indicate that the organizations are now focusing on redesigning the organization. The aspects that are part of the redesign process include
- Streamlining roles
- Streamlining supply chain.
- Streamlining workflows to increase the efficiency
However, when implemented, it would help improve efficiency. But, designing the organization for resilience will help the organization make changes quickly. This will help you have a responsive organization that is designed around outcomes. Therefore, the workers will get cross-functional knowledge and training.
Apart from the above challenges, the popularity of hybrid work poses the challenge of arranging for the physical infrastructure to work efficiently. This has led to the new co-working spaces concept to meet the demands.
Co-working spaces
Co-working space refers to a place where people can assemble to work. It is a neutral place that will help you work independently. It might be in groups on different projects and groups on the same projects. However, the co-working spaces might differ in terms of facilities you can expect. This is an effective model because the employers will be able to arrange for the infrastructural facilities required to do their work effectively. Also, they will be able to save costs. This includes costs involved in arranging for infrastructure, equipment, receptionist, utilities, etc.
To sum up, you must note that the post-pandemic trends include:
- An increase in work from home.
- Rapid growth in e-commerce.
- Accelerated automation.
This means that at least 25 % of the employees changed their occupations. However, more work is now being handled remotely. There has been an increase in warehousing and transportation while jobs drop in the hospitality and services sector. This is referred to as a shift in the occupation mix. Similarly, there is an increase in the demand for workers in the carte, and there is also scope for STEM occupations to grow. Also, the growth of industries deploying new technologies is likely to be high. Therefore, there is a need for businesses and policymakers to collaborate and support the workers. This will help develop a resilient and talented workforce. This will help create an equitable society.
