Managing the new workforce
Hybrid Working: The many faces of the ânewâ workforce The end of the pandemic is in sight and with it comes a return to a normal way of life weâve not seen for two years. How are employers approaching the return to the office and is a hybrid workforce here to stay? The adoption of at-home working was completely necessary at the start of the pandemic to keep the wheels of the global economy turning. But as phrases such as social distancing, work-from-home, isolation and quarantine slowly leave our day-to-day vocabularies, the return to a ânew normalâ flexible and / or hybrid way of working is front of mind for everyone in the workforce. While work-from-home orders were rescinded in July of 2021, the arrival of Omicron in November and a snap back into COVID-19 restrictions, it seems the workforce is somewhat weary of a second return to the office and digging in heels to secure a more flexible or hybrid environment. But while a flexible way of working isnât a new concept considering weâve been doing so for almost a year; the end of the pandemic is in sight and employers and employees are asking: will the end of the pandemic signal the end of the hybrid workforce? âRemote work is here to stay and is the new normal. As a result of the pandemic, over the last two years, corporates have been in a reactive mode. However, many are now taking a more strategic and planned approach to managing the challenges of a flexible and remote workforce and digitalisation of the workforce is being looked at in a significant way,â said Devyani Vaishampayan, TIARA Talent Tech Star judge and CEO of an AI consulting firm. According to Josh Bersin, Global Analyst and leader in HR tech, 80% of the global workforce is deskless â this means people in the workforce who canât work flexibly like hospitality, healthcare and retail workers. But even with most of the workforce unable to work flexibly, businesses across the globe have proven that the show can go on while working remotely. HYBRID FOR THE WIN For the better part of two years the talent landscape has been embroiled in a war for scarce
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TALiNT International February 2022
Debbie Walton Editor TALiNT Partners
talent that has pushed talent acquisition teams and employers to find and place the best talent in a short space of time â a trying task. But as the candidate-driven market continues to gain momentum, one thing is certain, flexible working is no longer a nice-to-have perk, it has become a condition of employment for candidates looking for new roles. Ryan McCabe, CEO at Odro agrees that hybrid working is here to stay. He said: âPreviously people thought that certain industries would fail to adapt and would continue to force people to come into the office every day once lockdown was over. I think itâs now clear that hybrid working is a competitive advantage, if not a minimum requirement, in the war for talent. And if Iâve learned anything in my career, itâs that people are the most important part of your business to get right. Which tells me that the decision has already been made by the masses. The research to support of hybrid working models is overwhelming, believes Omri Dekalo, CEO and Co-Founder of Ubeya, the workforce management solution company. âFor instance, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that â81% of employees said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.â Eighty-one percent! It makes perfect sense. If your employer shows they care about you as an individual beyond the workspace, you are more likely to hold favourable opinions of your workplace, feel a sense of genuine satisfaction, and feel like you belong.â Omri feels that the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on humanity, and itâs obvious now that how employees have responded in the context of their jobs and careers that work/life balance is of paramount importance to them. âEmployees now consider work/life balance and work flexibility amongst the top priorities when looking for their next role, and that spans both
