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People want to work differently after a pandemic. It hasn’t been here since the war, says the HR specialist

Above all, everyone wants to have a job. Even without promises of career growth and regular addition of money. Employees also want to work more from home, as the coronavirus pandemic has shown that many professions are doing well. However, new surveys of large personnel companies have also revealed a problem facing the labor market.

“Since March, the greatest change in the workforce and demand for skills has been taking place since World War II. In addition, the change is very rapid,” says Jarplava Rezlerová, Manpower Group Director. According to her, the current crisis is becoming a catalyst for a new future of work.

The current survey of this personnel company shows that the highest priority of employees is to keep their jobs. This was stated by 91 percent of respondents out of eight thousand respondents in several countries of the world, including a thousand in the Czech Republic. However, an even higher percentage of people are concerned about the return to the old way of working and the loss of flexibility they have gained during quarantine measures.

Another eight out of ten employees want a better work-life balance. And less than half of employees hope that fixed working hours will end. Most of them would like to go to work only two to three days a week.

For employers, this can be a guide to retaining quality employees. According to experts, before the coronavirus crisis, the labor market was “overheated”, companies overpaid wages and various benefits due to a lack of applicants, and employees changed jobs more often as a result. Now the market is calmer.

“It is still very difficult for employers to find new employees, on the other hand, employee turnover is reduced and fair employers can count on more stable teams. and security for the future is one of the most important benefits that people will hear about, “the survey said.

But he also mentions the problems that will come. In the labor market, scissors will open among applicants. Those who will not be able to adapt and learn will be a disappointed group.

“There is likely to be an even greater division of labor. Those whose skills are sought after may also demand wage increases and teleworking that prevent them from commuting so much. They have a greater degree of flexibility and can adjust their family and work lives to their liking. In contrast, employees who have less sought-after skills have to commute to the workplace and are exposed to greater risks such as pay cuts, redundancies or missions, while having more limited opportunities to work from home, less flexibility and less balance. between personal and professional life. They will be dissatisfied, “says Rezler.

Employees’ feelings from returning to work after a pandemic

The ManpowerGroup survey looked at how people perceived their return to work by age after releasing coronavirus measures.

Generation Z (year 1996 and higher)
Of all groups, they were most looking forward to returning to work (51%). They have a greater desire to learn and pave the way for career advancement and higher pay.

Millennials (1981 – 1996)
On the contrary, they were the least looking forward to returning to work of all the groups. They require more reassurance that sick employees stay at home. They want to avoid commuting the most and are the least willing to lose the flexibility they have gained.

Generation X (1964 – 1980)
They were significantly relieved to return to work. Most of all groups. They have the least worries about health. On their return to the office, they were most looking forward to working with colleagues and the opportunity to concentrate on work, which they did not do well at home due to the many other tasks they had to handle.

Baby Boomers (1945 – 1963)
They were looking forward to returning because they preferred personal cooperation. They don’t like long distance communication. He values ​​the boundaries between personal and professional life the most.

Now the demand for technical and “soft” skills is strengthening. “The acute shortage of skilled workers is particularly in the technology field. There is a growing interest in cybersecurity professionals, software developers and data analysts. And other professions have communication, adaptability, empathy, initiative and lots of other soft skills in times of rapid change and great uncertainty. more important than ever, “says the HR specialist.

We are happier at work, we don’t even complain about the boss

Similar findings came from a recent Grafton survey. It is the growing uncertainty in the market that has increased employee satisfaction with their work. “People are less annoyed now that they can’t grow their careers, they also complain less about the amount of their salary and they are no longer so attracted to a possible change of job,” says Jitka Součková, marketing manager of Grafton Recruitment.

He adds that fewer people are now complaining about the annoying boss and leadership. The number of people who have reservations about the scope of work has also decreased slightly. “It is obvious that due to the coronavirus crisis, people have become more appreciative of their current jobs and do not perceive it as a problem that they cannot grow their careers or that they have not been added. And fewer people want to change jobs or change fields,” comments Jitka Součková.

People who have been paid more in the last year, have been on the labor market for less than ten years and are working full time, feel their employers are more accommodating. With age and practice, people’s feeling that employers are helpful to them decreases.

“In total, 56 percent of employees feel employer-friendly. More than a quarter of employees are at least partially accommodated. Employers perceive the approval of vacation dates and doctor’s appointments, setting working hours according to employee needs, and appreciating the ability to co-decide to influence the workload, “adds Součková.

According to ManpowerGroup Rezler boss, employers now have a chance, easier than before, to create working conditions that are more in line with employees’ wishes.

What, according to surveys, should an ideal job look like now

  1. Managers should understand the needs of each employee to avoid unsubstantiated assumptions and subconscious prejudices when evaluating employee performance.
  2. The skills needed will be constantly changing. Therefore, companies should support employees in training and acquiring new skills, support distance learning, so that employees’ knowledge corresponds to the ever-changing needs of the company.
  3. Teleworking is not the only way to provide employees with greater work flexibility and better work-life balance. For positions where a presence in the workplace is required, companies can offer their employees the opportunity to determine the beginning and end of working hours and more flexible work planning.
  4. The covid-19 pandemic evokes feelings of isolation, stress, fear and anxiety and also leads to reflection on the value of health, well-being and family. Emotional well-being should be given the same emphasis as physical or organizational measures.
  5. At a time when stress is increasing and the biggest fear of employees is that they will lose their jobs, it is important to have good leadership even at a distance, clear communication, a culture that allows you to combine work at work and from home.

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