The coronavirus crisis has changed the world of work forever. Social restrictions have altered our needs and turned established processes upside down. Companies have had to be creative and make significant progress in terms of digitalisation: processes had to be digitalised in a matter of weeks or even days, and employees had to get used to working from home very quickly. Although the situation is gradually going back to normal, it is clear that things will never be the same again.
The Adecco Group completed an international study of 8000 people across six countries (Germany, France, UK, USA, Australia and Japan) to identify trends in the labour market. The key findings of this survey show the way forward:
- Flexible working models – Employees want to retain flexibility regarding where they work, and be able to work in the office or from home depending on the situation. 73% of all companies could benefit from more flexible working models as these increase their attractiveness as an employer. The employees surveyed as part of our study confirmed that they would ideally like to spend 49% of their time working from home (compared with just 31% before coronavirus).
- The end of ‘9 to 5’? – There is a clear trend towards working models that measure productivity in terms of results rather than hours. 50% of the employees surveyed felt that their work-life balance had improved during the crisis. Three-quarters of the employees surveyed also wanted more flexible work management in the future, and were increasingly challenging work contracts that define performance as fixed working hours.
- Redefining leadership – Modern managers need high emotional intelligence (EQ) to be successful. 79% of all the employees surveyed wanted managers who trusted that they were doing their work well. 74% wanted bosses who were empathetic and supportive. 50% of the managers surveyed reported that they found it difficult to determine their employees’ well-being. 28% of employees also confirmed that their mental well-being had declined during the crisis.
- Further digital training – What has long been technically possible is now increasingly demanded by employees. Major trends relate to technical skills, social skills and employee management. 59% of the employees surveyed were able to improve their digital expertise during the crisis.
- Employers have gained trust – The handling of the crisis has meant that the majority (80%) of those surveyed expected their employers to act in a forward-looking way. By comparison, governments were only trusted by 73% of those surveyed. 72% of the people surveyed rely on themselves in crisis situations. 61% feel that their employers could support them through another crisis in the future.