When the pandemic began approximately three years ago, it rapidly altered the nature of work. Remote work was no longer an exception in the paradigm; it was the norm. Flexibility was also an increasingly prominent part of the equation, primarily due to the need for professionals to adapt to shifting demands on their time as schools went remote and various resources became inaccessible.
While the time of lockdowns is long past, not everything it spurred disappeared into the night. Instead, professionals who found various parts of the arrangements beneficial strived to continue with them long-term. Since labor shortages made hiring challenging, many employers found that they had little choice but to adapt if they wanted to secure top talent.
However, the road to the new normal isn’t always short and straightforward. If you want to ensure your company is adjusting to the new ways of working adequately, here are the main points you need to focus on to meet shifting employee expectations.
The Desire for Remote Work and Flexibility
During the pandemic and in the time since, many professionals learned that working remotely suited them. Often, telecommuting leads to a boost in productivity, as employees aren’t subjected to a range of workplace distractions. Plus, it eliminates the need for a commute, making it easier to achieve improved work-life balance.
A degree of flexibility was also viewed as beneficial. The ability to set work aside to handle a critical task and return at a later time prevented the need to use leave for smaller activities. As a result, professionals discovered that remaining productive was far easier, and it didn’t require significant sacrifices.
As a result, offering remote work and reasonable flexibility is hard for companies to avoid. Typically, demanding that employees return to the office and follow set schedules isn’t met with a positive response, particularly since a considerable number of companies are forgoing such requirements. Essentially, being overly strict about working from an office or at specific times can cost companies candidates and employees, so it’s better to offer remote work and flexibility whenever possible.
Productivity and Performance Over Time and Attendance
Many companies measure employees’ success based on their attendance and the time they put in each day. However, during the pandemic, employees soon realized that there’s often a disconnect between productivity and performance and time and attendance. Many professionals are able to meet the demands of their job in less time and to a high standard. As a result, there’s an increasing desire for performance and productivity to become the basis for success, not the number of hours an employee spends on their work computer.
While customer-facing positions classically come with availability requirements due to interactions with people outside of the company, re-evaluating other roles to determine if using performance and productivity to assess success is wise. Ultimately, the strategy rewards efficiency, all while ensuring that work outputs are of suitable quality. Plus, it’s highly favored by professionals, which could make recruitment and retention easier to manage.
Need help with Recruiting and Staffing in Connecticut?
In the end, the pandemic didn’t just change the world of work for a time; it led to a fundamental paradigm shift. If you’d like to learn more about how your company can adapt, A.R. Mazzotta can help. Additionally, if you need to fill vacancies at your company, A.R. Mazzotta offers customizable, affordable hiring solutions. Request an employee from A.R. Mazzotta today.