The Covid-19 pandemic has considerably changed the attitude how we view work. It resulted in a massive disruption in the workforce, highlighted the importance of physical proximity in many domains, and changed many business models. Organisations had to adapt to this change and provide solutions for their employees so that they could work as easily as before. After the lockdowns, working remotely was no longer seen as uncommon or ‘weird’. Nowadays, many workers expect their companies to provide an option for hybrid working, where a few days are spent in the office and the rest of the days spend working from home. In advanced economies, like Western Europe, at least 25% of workers have the option to work remotely 3 days a week.

Additionally, the pandemic has opened the conversation about topics such as mental health, how companies communicate with their employees but also how they treat their employees. According to a survey done by SHRM (2021), the top 5 reasons for people to quit their jobs are better compensation, better work/life balance, better benefits, the workplace culture and its politics, and finally, organisational leadership who lacked empathy towards employees. Five significant reasons why people are quitting their jobs post-pandemic. The question that arises and that keeps many people wondering is: ‘what will the future of work look like.’ 

How we view work has changed a lot in these past few years and it will continue to change. In this new economic reality, future workers will have to prepare for the global workplace and be ready for continuous change. New generations will work in an environment completely different from what people were used to a few years ago. It has become especially important for employee’s post-pandemic to have a good work/life balance and work under good leadership. Working remotely has allowed people to feel less supervised and less controlled whilst completing their tasks. According to a The PIE Webinar, 25% of workers say they would switch employers if they were obliged to work from the office. While many employers want their workers back in the office, it seems people prefer hybrid work where they can decide when and where to work.  

Employees do not want to feel they are being micromanaged; they want to have autonomy. Research shows that businesses can only thrive if their employees succeed, hence this matters to companies. The future of work will depend on how well we can all adapt to change, and our societies will only thrive if organisations can accommodate the needs of their workers efficiently. 

Consequently students will have to learn to be able to work both remotely and in the office, and higher education institutions should support this learning. Flexibility will be a core value in many organisations. Flexibility means that as a worker you can adapt to change easily and can adapt to a fast-paced environment. However, there is an interesting generational divide: Gen Z is not that eager to work from home as they are keen to experience the connection with their team members and want to experience the feeling of belonging. Will the future of work be hybrid from now on?

Emma Tsetis
Expertise in Labour Mobility