After the most unpredictable year in history here are my top 4 predictions for workplace trends in 2021
1 - Remote digital working is here to stay
Now is a good time to reassess work from home strategies. Are your meetings at times when you need to have them? Are the right people in the meetings? Do you need to be there?
We need to be intentional with all of the things we are doing and question the value of each activity.
2 - Your skills will be your career currency
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that adaptability and flexibility is key. While countless employees had to completely switch careers and roles due to Covid-19 putting their own jobs on pause, others had to pivot their role internally as organisational needs and priorities shifted overnight.
What skills will help you with your career progression in 2021? Are there learning opportunities available to help you grow and upskill?
3 - Employee engagement and wellbeing will take centre stage
For employers who want to ensure they attract and retain the best talent they will need to place a greater focus on the needs of their teams.
Feedback I’ve heard from working parents this week was littered with reports of overwhelm, burnout, demotivation and feeling undervalued. Employees are asking companies to give them flexible work options, safe office facilities, paid leave, childcare, training and mental health support.
In 2021 higher numbers of people will suffer from job-loss worries, work from home challenges, isolation, and feeling overworked, taking their toll on their mental health.
What can your organisation do to listen to and prioritise employee wellbeing this year? How can they think differently to retain competitive advantage and invest in valuable talent?
4 - An agile mindset is critical.
An agile mindset is about creating and responding to change in uncertain and turbulent environments. It’s about thinking through how you can understand what’s going on in the environment, identify what uncertainty you’re facing and figure out how to adapt as you go along.
A simple daily or weekly check in to remain agile is to ask yourself the Stop, Start, Continue trio of questions
- What can you stop doing?
- What can you start doing?
- What will you continue doing?