A year ago, when South Africa went into its national lockdown, we found ourselves in unchartered territory. Companies quickly adapted to virtual and remote operations and a change that was previously estimated to take years was achieved almost overnight, teaching us that we are in fact agile, we can adapt, and we can make strategic decisions quickly. Now a year later, so many things we once took for granted can no longer be done mindlessly and for many employees and for employers a simple “return to old ways” is not going to cut it. As companies begin to come out of survival mode and enter more of a recovery phase, they need to continue making strategic decisions in order to thrive.
Strategic decisions should be made based on a number of integrated factors: operational requirements, market and climate changes, economic considerations, people, company culture and so on. Making strategic decisions in uncertain times is challenging but necessary and companies must remember that not making decisions is a decision in itself. To guide strategic decision making, companies should listen to, invest in, and actively manage the components of the new world of work – the workplace trends that are emerging.
Trends are the opposite of “fads”. Trends have staying power and impact entire industries. By understanding workplace trends and adapting business strategies accordingly, companies can equip themselves to staying relevant, remaining competitive and attracting top talent and clients. In addition, effective workplace strategies lead to increased employee engagement which has a host of positive impacts on the company: increased productivity and employee satisfaction, retention of staff and a decrease in absenteeism.
Below are ten workplace trends that companies should consider in 2021 when formulating their recovery phase strategies;
- Measuring the impact of virtual learning and identifying effective virtual learning strategies
- Fostering a company culture of trust
- Digital transformation
- Work-life integration
- Addressing social justice
- Employee health, well-being, wellness, and safety
- Implementing strategies and measuring progress on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
- Team effectiveness across virtual and distributed environments
- Remote work and flexible working arrangements
- Building an agile and adaptable workforce.
This recovery phase will not be defined by time but rather by the speed and effectiveness of strategic decisions made. Companies that implement strategies aligned with the trends above ahead of others, will have a distinct competitive advantage in the current world of work.