While many are hoping for a semblance of normalcy in 2021, it will continue to be a year of even more major transformations for the workplace.
Taking the lessons learned from 2020’s tumultuous atmosphere, from social justice reawakenings to the overall physical and mental health of workers, companies have a long road in modernizing their work operations.
One of the most discussed concepts of last year was finding methods of improving the employee experience. In the new year, this will shift to managing the life experience of workers.
The pandemic has offered a vulnerable look into the daily struggles employees have had to face over the last several months. Realistically, much of their stress is likely attributed to the workplace, so it is vital for business leaders to make an effort to do what they can to improve their daily lives.
Additionally, companies will likely be more transparent on societal and political stances in the new year. In fact, Gartner research finds that nearly three-fourths of employees expect their employer to be more involved in cultural debates.
Being more involved in these issues has been found to boost employee engagement, and can even help diversify the workforce.
One downside of the last year has been the high levels of women having little choice but to leave the workforce. In the future, this may cause the gender-wage gap to widen even further.
However, the growing popularity of the hybrid workforce could help companies achieve more equality by giving working mothers a chance to still be part of the workforce.
