The shake-up of COVID has changed so much about the way we work, as well as what people expect from their workplace. Half of people surveyed expect more from their employer this year that they did before the COVID outbreak, research from SEEK reveals.
How workplace expectations have changed
65% of people say that what matters to them in workplaces now, has changed since the start of the pandemic. With the shear volume of open jobs right now candidates expect employers to move with pace during the recruitment process. People are identifying what their goals are and what is important to them-and they expect that work will now support these goals.
What people expect now
1: Work/life balance- this is the top must have for many people, with 48% saying its more important to them now than before the pandemic. People used to be grateful to be able to do a school drop off once a week. That doesn’t hold the weight that it used to.
2: Flexible hours/schedule- flexibility is the hybrid work model and it should be well ingrained into organisations by now. Having flexibility is important for 50% of people surveyed.
3: Salary & Compensation-financial benefits are still most important for two in five people. They’re expecting salary increases and offering fair and reasonable will attract and retain talent.
4: Job security-over two in five people say that job security is more important to them now than before COVID. So, this is not a time for employers to rest on their laurels, now people will be more hesitant to take a job that doesn’t feel secure. People want to hear more about career progression/ascension planning, training, and development options.
5: Options to work from home-over a third of Australians, want the option to work from home some of the time but only 26% of employers provide this. (So, buyer beware you might want WFH but not a lot of businesses are set up for it yet) so hold your horse’s people with WFH demands 😊 we’re not quite there yet.
6: Working Conditions/environment-many people know that they can be productive and make a meaningful contribution working from home, so the physical working space needs to provide a complimentary offering on top of that. For example, this could include plenty of natural light, an even temperature, spaces to connect with colleagues and clients, and get-away hubs for quite work or solitude.
7: Good working relationships- many employers now face the challenge of how to keep workplace culture and engagement in a hybrid working space. Hybrid work is not an excuse to save money on all the great cultural events that bring people together. Employers need to help people keep connected with their peers within the new Hybrid work model.
8: Mental Health Support-Wellness and wellbeing are still big topics and I think they will continue to be a topic of focus as we still navigate through COVID. People are mentally fatigued from the challenges they’ve faced and continue to face. Resilience is at an all-time low, and workplaces need to offer wellness initiatives to support their team.