(Quartz) What does work look like after a pandemic?
Tracy Keogh, Chief Human Resources Officer at HP, shares how work and the workplace will be different after the pandemic has passed, and her first thought is the most simple – the new reality will not match the way things were before. What will change?
Expect uncertainty to persist about when and how employees will return to the physical workspace – there won’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. There will be practical challenges, but it’s hard to say how individuals will react after months in isolation. Employers will need to listen, be supportive, and provide a clear plan to reassure their workforce. Tracy also believes internal communication have already changed and improved. For example, participation in company town halls increased once HP conducted them virtually. What’s next?
In our opinion, company leaders should prepare for an increasingly virtual workplace. It may be generational, but candidates were increasingly requesting (or requiring) remote- and flexible work arrangements before the response to COVID-19 moved us out of the office and into the home office. We do not expect that to slow. Rather, we may have reached a tipping point in manager sentiment in which hiring leaders will be comfortable hiring, onboarding, and leading their teams remotely. This change will have broad-reaching impact on corporate and location strategy, and should open both companies and candidates to new employment opportunities which previously were closed due to location. What do you think? Reach out to say hello and share your thoughts.