here is no denying that COVID-19 has shifted how organizations and employees approach work. In a very competitive talent landscape, companies are looking for workers who can maintain business continuity today while also thinking ahead to the skillsets that will be needed for the future. Employees are also reassessing what is important to them and seeking more from their employers. All of this points to a “Great Re-Evaluation,” which presents opportunities and risks for businesses. If employers do not adjust to meet employee demands with compassion, they risk losing current talent and may fail to attract the talent they need for the future.
As a leader of one of the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions companies, I have witnessed one of the most significant paradoxes of the COVID-19 pandemic—the events over the past two years have both exacerbated inequities within parts of the workforce while creating new opportunities for career advancement for others. This dynamic requires new ways of thinking from company leaders and more than empathetic words. Employees need actions and commitments that help transition the workplace to one that works for everyone.
We must first acknowledge the uneven and inequitable impact that the pandemic has had on women. The OECD found that on average across OECD countries this year, women spent almost twice as much time per day on unpaid labor tasks than men, working an average of 4.39 hours per day compared with 2.275 hours for men. They also found that mothers of children under twelve were three times as likely as fathers to report that they took on all or the majority of unpaid care responsibilities caused by school and childcare closures, regardless of their employment status. These at-home demands have reinforced long-standing gender inequalities and contributed to an overwhelming sense of burnout among women.
This burnout is only reinforced when businesses fail to acknowledge the struggle of their employees and are not adaptable enough to implement solutions that support women and fully capitalize on their potential in the workforce. Women have experienced the greatest number of pandemic-related job losses, with millions leaving the U.S. workforce since the onset of COVID-19. As vaccination rates increase, businesses reopen, and schools and childcare institutions return to full schedules, we expect that many women will return to the workplace. But this will only be possible if employers prioritize the development of support systems to help them succeed.
One change that has the potential to help women in the workforce is more flexibility around where and how work gets done. Employees, especially those who identify as female, want more flexible work arrangements. Globally, our data shows that 53 percent of workers are calling for hybrid working models where more than half of their time is spent working remotely. We have seen many companies re-evaluate their approach to work and transition to permanent hybrid or remote workplaces. Businesses are transforming office spaces to focus solely on collaborative work, integrating new digital tools to enable more efficient remote information sharing, evaluating opportunities for job sharing or part time work, and re-defining strict start and end times to allow employees to build schedules that best reflect their own needs. These changes are practical, but ultimately stem from a change in employer mindsets. They reflect companies understanding how the lives of their employees have changed and reacting with compassionate action.
More broadly, flexible work arrangements benefit many types of workers, including parents and those with disabilities. The ability to adapt to a hybrid working model –and to sustain it –will vary across countries and industries, but opening lines of communication with employees on where and how they like to work and are most productive in their personal and professional lives is an essential first step to ensuring that business needs and employee demands align.
Another way that employers can support their workforce is by investing in their people through upskilling and re-skilling programs. There is a growing demand among workers for training and skill development as part of their re-evaluation. This can be what differentiates between companies’ ability to attract and retain talent. Our global survey data found that 66 percent of workers believe they need to train and gain new skills to stay employable in the years to come and more than 6 in 10 workers are taking or considering taking a new qualification or skills training. This need for training and upskilling applies to both technical and non-technical skills, ranging from technical certifications to management and leadership training.
It may feel for many leaders that investing in talent is a fleeting trend that may not be as critical as other issues they are facing. I respectfully disagree. Employees will continue to demand more from leaders and deserve investment in their wellbeing and growth that reflects not only the realities of the pandemic, but also of their broader aspirations and goals. The businesses that will thrive will be the ones who have policies, programs, and practices that meet the needs of their workforce and create a more inclusive and equitable society.
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Future-Proofing the Workforce of Tomorrow
Photo by Carlos de Toro via Unsplash.
January 16, 2022
The pandemic fundamentally changed how we think about work, but for tomorrow's workforce to be future-proofed, significant work remains to be done to address structural problems in the workforce that adversely impact women, writes Adecco Group, Americas Regional President Corinne Ripoche.
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here is no denying that COVID-19 has shifted how organizations and employees approach work. In a very competitive talent landscape, companies are looking for workers who can maintain business continuity today while also thinking ahead to the skillsets that will be needed for the future. Employees are also reassessing what is important to them and seeking more from their employers. All of this points to a “Great Re-Evaluation,” which presents opportunities and risks for businesses. If employers do not adjust to meet employee demands with compassion, they risk losing current talent and may fail to attract the talent they need for the future.
As a leader of one of the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions companies, I have witnessed one of the most significant paradoxes of the COVID-19 pandemic—the events over the past two years have both exacerbated inequities within parts of the workforce while creating new opportunities for career advancement for others. This dynamic requires new ways of thinking from company leaders and more than empathetic words. Employees need actions and commitments that help transition the workplace to one that works for everyone.
We must first acknowledge the uneven and inequitable impact that the pandemic has had on women. The OECD found that on average across OECD countries this year, women spent almost twice as much time per day on unpaid labor tasks than men, working an average of 4.39 hours per day compared with 2.275 hours for men. They also found that mothers of children under twelve were three times as likely as fathers to report that they took on all or the majority of unpaid care responsibilities caused by school and childcare closures, regardless of their employment status. These at-home demands have reinforced long-standing gender inequalities and contributed to an overwhelming sense of burnout among women.
This burnout is only reinforced when businesses fail to acknowledge the struggle of their employees and are not adaptable enough to implement solutions that support women and fully capitalize on their potential in the workforce. Women have experienced the greatest number of pandemic-related job losses, with millions leaving the U.S. workforce since the onset of COVID-19. As vaccination rates increase, businesses reopen, and schools and childcare institutions return to full schedules, we expect that many women will return to the workplace. But this will only be possible if employers prioritize the development of support systems to help them succeed.
One change that has the potential to help women in the workforce is more flexibility around where and how work gets done. Employees, especially those who identify as female, want more flexible work arrangements. Globally, our data shows that 53 percent of workers are calling for hybrid working models where more than half of their time is spent working remotely. We have seen many companies re-evaluate their approach to work and transition to permanent hybrid or remote workplaces. Businesses are transforming office spaces to focus solely on collaborative work, integrating new digital tools to enable more efficient remote information sharing, evaluating opportunities for job sharing or part time work, and re-defining strict start and end times to allow employees to build schedules that best reflect their own needs. These changes are practical, but ultimately stem from a change in employer mindsets. They reflect companies understanding how the lives of their employees have changed and reacting with compassionate action.
More broadly, flexible work arrangements benefit many types of workers, including parents and those with disabilities. The ability to adapt to a hybrid working model –and to sustain it –will vary across countries and industries, but opening lines of communication with employees on where and how they like to work and are most productive in their personal and professional lives is an essential first step to ensuring that business needs and employee demands align.
Another way that employers can support their workforce is by investing in their people through upskilling and re-skilling programs. There is a growing demand among workers for training and skill development as part of their re-evaluation. This can be what differentiates between companies’ ability to attract and retain talent. Our global survey data found that 66 percent of workers believe they need to train and gain new skills to stay employable in the years to come and more than 6 in 10 workers are taking or considering taking a new qualification or skills training. This need for training and upskilling applies to both technical and non-technical skills, ranging from technical certifications to management and leadership training.
It may feel for many leaders that investing in talent is a fleeting trend that may not be as critical as other issues they are facing. I respectfully disagree. Employees will continue to demand more from leaders and deserve investment in their wellbeing and growth that reflects not only the realities of the pandemic, but also of their broader aspirations and goals. The businesses that will thrive will be the ones who have policies, programs, and practices that meet the needs of their workforce and create a more inclusive and equitable society.
