The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact on labor markets in 2020. The short-term effects were immediate and sometimes severe: millions of people were laid off or lost their jobs, and others adjusted to working from home after offices shut. Many other workers were designated essential and continued to work in hospitals and grocery stores, on garbage trucks, and in warehouses, but under new protocols to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

With the COVID-19 pandemic now in a manageable state, the United States has been able to reestablish a post-pandemic mindset towards life. Recruiters are now beginning to notice good indications of recruitment; unemployment rates are decreasing and the country is starting to hire again.

HR executives must reconsider workforce planning, management, performance evaluation, and experience design as the pandemic is coming to an end. Recruitment forecasts are expected to rise in 2022 but will continue to fluctuate along with the economy of the United States.

According to a Gartner poll of 800-plus HR managers, five major HR trends have been created as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s workforce and workplace modifications. Those in charge now must assess the influence each HR trend will have on their company’s operations and long-term aims, determine which need immediate attention, and evaluate how these HR trends affect pre-COVID-19 long-term objectives and strategies.

Top Future of Work Trends Post-COVID-19

1 Remote Working Will Stay

According to a recent Gartner poll, 48% of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after COVID-19, up from 30% previously. As organizations move to more distributed work arrangements, assess the crucial skills needed for digitally collaborative working and be prepared to alter employee experience methods.

More than three-quarters of the C-suite executives in a recent McKinsey poll anticipated the return of the “core” employee to the office three or more days each week. These leaders are well aware that the work-from-home trial was unexpectedly effective.

Consider if and how you should transition performance goal-setting and evaluations in a remote environment.

2 Contingent Worker Expansion

The economic turmoil brought on by the pandemic has prompted many people to lose their jobs, while it has exposed others for the first time to nonstandard employment practices. Many businesses have responded to the pandemic’s economic effects by reducing contractor expenditures, but this is no longer the case.

Gartner predicts that organizations will keep utilizing contingent employees to increase operational flexibility after COVID-19, and they’ll look at using other job models they’ve seen during the pandemic, such as talent sharing and pay for 80% effort.

Employers can now employ people from across the world, rather than just their local region. Recruiting firms have earned a premium on contract workers from different time zones or in various countries as a result of labor scarcity in specific industries.

3 Separation of Critical Skills and Roles

COVID-19 changed the definition of critical roles. Before COVID-19, critical jobs were defined as those requiring significant skills or abilities necessary by an organization to achieve its strategic objectives. Employers are now recognizing that there is a different sort of critical job — essential workflows’ success – which falls outside the previous definition.

Focus less on job titles to build a workforce that can survive after the pandemic and emphasis more on skills needed to generate the company’s competitive advantage and workflows that fuel it. Encourage employees to improve important talents instead of focusing on a particular future position. Employees in critical roles who lack essential abilities should get more assistance in their career advancement.

4 Transparency From Executives

Before COVID-19, organizations were already experiencing increased employee demands for transparency. Employees and potential recruits will evaluate businesses on their treatment of staff during the epidemic. Balance immediate short-term issues with long-term consequences on the employment brand.

For example, give CEOs and executive leaders advice on compensation cuts and make certain the financial costs are dispersed throughout the company rather than employees as a whole.

5 Operationally Resilience

According to a Gartner report, 55 percent of organizational redesigns in 2019 were focused on streamlining roles, supply chains, and workflows to increase efficiency. While this procedure demonstrated efficiencies, it also produced fractures since systems cannot adapt to disruptions. Resilient companies were better positioned to react — swiftly alter course with change.

To create a more responsive business, design roles and structures around outcomes to increase agility and flexibility, as well as formalize how procedures can adapt. Also, offer employees varied, adaptive, and flexible responsibilities so that they may gain cross-functional expertise and training.

Key Takeaways

In the future, it will be critical to consider how you’re recruiting and retaining people today because that could influence business outcomes tomorrow. Recruiting practices should evolve with changing times, but also stay true to your company culture so that you can create a workforce that is aligned with your organizational values.

And, remember different businesses function differently, therefore what works for one company may not work for another. Focus on what matters to your company and employees. Recruitment trends will change, but building a strong workforce is never out of fashion.