Each year, we see new trends in many different areas of our lives. These trends include technology, fashion and marketing. Some trends are continuations of the year before, while others, like remote work, were inspired by the pandemic in 2020 that forced employees to work at home. Irrespective to their origins most trends have helped employees achieve a better work-life balance, leading to a happier, more productive workforce.
1.Embracing Remote Work
Many employers have been reluctant to allow employees to work away from the traditional office environment. Remote work has been shown to improve employee performance, by eliminating daily commutes.
Many employees do not want to give up their flexibility to work outside of the office, even as the world slowly returns to normal after 2.5 years of remote working. The pandemic highlighted the positive effects of remote working on employee’s overall performance and well-being.
Hybrid work models are becoming more popular as companies seek to measure employee productivity even when employees are not in the office. Some companies use time-tracking programs to get insights into the time their employees spend working remotely. However, this can affect their trust in their organization.
Employers and their employees must maintain transparency and collaborate with their teams to maintain trust. You can learn how to advance your career by working remotely if you’re interested.
2. Improved Employee Benefits
When looking for a new position, people are considering the benefits that companies offer.
Employers offer a wide range of benefits, from health insurance to financial wellness programs and pet insurance to fertility treatments. These can include anything from traditional insurance to fertility treatments and insurance.
Your employer may offer personal development options such as training, mental health counseling, and paid family leave. You might be interested to learn how to create an effective plan for personal growth.
3. Salary Transparency
New York State will have new laws on pay disclosure in place this year. California and Washington are the first two states that had legislation in effect at the start of the new year.
These laws could also benefit employers, as they may improve the quality and quantity of job applications.
Job seekers who are able identify themselves as perfect candidates can make a powerful statement by offering a range of salaries to prospective employees.
4. Flexible Work Schedules
Employees are looking for flexible work schedules. Flexible schedules, such as working four days a week, can increase employee engagement and reduce stress.
A good way to introduce new work schedules is by introducing them on an experimental basis.
A New Zealand company, for example, was able test the viability over a two-month period of a four day workweek. The firm found that after the test, employees were able to improve their work-life-balance with 24% less anxiety, 20 percent more efficiency, and 7 percent lower anxiety levels.
Many employers don’t believe in the benefits of working a four-day work week. Learn how to convince your employer of the advantages of a four-day work week.
5. Continued focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE &I) efforts
Employers know that while difficult skills can be taught, soft skills tend to have greater sensitivity. They are therefore becoming more important in the workplace. Over the past five years, businesses of all industries have created roles that are focused on people. These include Change Manager, Chief Human Officer, and Employee Experience Management.
DE&I initiatives create more people from diverse backgrounds, genders, and nationalities, making for a more varied overall culture. For those interested in diversity, you can ask if streaming services are doing enough to promote diversity and represent their audience.
6. Employers Investing in Employee Well-Being
Employees used to not be concerned about their mental well-being because they were so focused on completing their work.
Employees did not take care of their health at work, which led to problems. Both employers and employees are concerned about the health of their employees. More and more employers implement wellness programs to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees.
You might want to improve your mental well-being by learning how to be creative.
7. Continuing Focus on Gender Equality
The issue of gender equality has been gaining momentum for some time. In the near future, we will likely see more companies hiring and promoting women to senior positions.
States participate in this initiative. California, for example, has a policy encouraging more women to serve on corporate boards. Having women in high-level positions is not just an ethical issue; it’s also beneficial to companies. According a study conducted in 2020, companies with female representation are 50% better than those without.
Take advantage of these Career Trends
You may find that some of the ideas are not applicable to you, but you can still make them work.
Some trends last longer than others. When you see a trend that you can use to your advantage, don’t be afraid to implement it. Don’t think you are in control. Things always change.
