Four current workplace trends to keep watching
July 19, 2023
The workplace is changing quickly! Luckily, workers are being centered on these changes more each year. We enjoy working with companies to continue to provide employee training that is created to adapt along with them.
These are four of our favorite trends happening at this very moment. Is your organization impacted by any of them? Or maybe all?
Current workplace trends (and what’s next)
Hybrid and remote working
This may be the most obvious and visible continued workplace trend, applying particularly to conversations around the future of work. Says Forbes writer Dr. Gleb Tsipursky:
“The data suggests that remote work is here to stay. The terms “remote work jobs” and “work from home jobs” have hit their highest Google Trends search for all time in January 2023, indicating an enthusiasm and desire among job seekers for these positions. As an experienced expert in hybrid and remote work, I have consulted for companies figuring out how to manage their workforce, and can tell you that hybrid and remote work is not going anywhere – at least given the tight labor market and the search for talent.”
Hand in hand with the trend of remote working is workplace satisfaction, with the overlap creating emphasis on both. Why? Increased opportunities for remote work equal increased opportunities in general. This allows job seekers to find roles that are a better fit for their professional needs and desires, leading to great job satisfaction.
Similarly, remote work is an ongoing and evolving opportunity for companies as it enhances the pool of applicants. Besides this, numerous studies have found it to directly increase productivity.
Rather than moving back to the office following the pandemic, remote work is a trend that is now being analyzed as a permanent change. The next trends are what will be fun to watch.
Quiet quitting
Workers are more concerned about job satisfaction than ever before, and they are doing something about it.
“Quiet quitting” refers to employees intentionally doing the bare minimum to complete their jobs. Why? Because they lack passion for their roles and want to avoid burnout.
The danger around this trend is that fewer organizations will have effective leadership as fewer employees will grow with them long term. Most employees who are feeling disengaged or quiet quitting are already looking for new jobs.
Are you interested in the quiet quitting trend? We will be doing a follow-up blog post on the topic. Keep your eyes on this space!
Skills over degrees
Having a college degree may currently provide you with a leg up when applying for a position with a new organization, but this advantage is quickly evaporating. One of the most-talked-about workplace trends for the next five years is that there has been a dramatic decrease in the value attached to college degrees. This emphasis is reflected in the way that employees and employers alike feel.
According to marketing firm J. Arthur. while a recent Glassdoor survey revealed that 82% feel that their degree helped them secure their position, only 21% of companies recruiting on Zipricuter require it.
Degrees and certifications are one indicator of an individual’s competency but are not indicative of their ability to advance in a company. Instead, organizations are looking for people with strong soft skills. Remarkably, the same J. Arthur article cited a ZipRecruiter survey that lists the following as the crucial skills that employers seek:
- Communication (51% of employers included in their candidate requirements)
- Time management (21% of employers included in their candidate requirements)
- Ability to work well with team members (19% of employers included in their candidate requirements)
- Motivation (12% of employers included in their candidate requirements)
- Experience in Microsoft Office (11% of employers included in their candidate requirements)
- Ability to work in fast-paced environment (7% of employers included in their candidate requirements)
In order to effectively hire new talent with soft skills recruiters will be formatting interviews to allow them to come to the forefront, or not.
Read more: The most important soft skills for managers and how to teach them.
Do you want to help your employees strengthen their soft skills? Check out our course library here.
Work satisfaction
We may be finally making progress when it comes to the responsibility of work/life balance being placed on the shoulders of the employer.
Decades of research combined with the pandemic’s Great Resignation has helped bring the dangers of burnout and the importance of employee happiness. The bottom line is employee satisfaction impacts the bottom line.
Last year Gallop reported that employees who struggle with burnout are a whopping 63% more likely to take sick days and 23% more likely to visit the emergency room. They aren’t very likely to play an active role in helping the organization get to the “next level” either. Gallop reports that those living with burnout are half as likely to discuss their performance with their manager and are twice as likely to already be looking for a new job.
Companies are addressing this shift in responsibilities in a variety of ways. The first is an overall cultural revamp that lets employees know that their well-being matters.
Managers are also being increasingly trained to focus on empowering team members to do a job with a feeling of confidence and calm rather than focusing solely on deadlines. The same Gallop article reads:
“It’s their duty to set clear expectations, remove barriers, facilitate collaboration and ensure that employees feel fully supported to do their best work. When they do, managers can reverse burnout and prevent further burnout before it starts.”
We will continue to follow all of these trends on the blog and on social media. Make sure you are following us so you don’t miss a thing.
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