Research has shown that 71% of human resources leaders are now more focused on employee collaboration in 2021. [Courtesy]
The Covid-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the United States for the past two years, has severely affected not only the ability of companies and individuals to innovate and take on new initiatives, but also the work practices of the majority of their employees.
Many people are now working remotely as a result of subsequent lockdowns. Companies also have to provide the technical and human support that employees need during these difficult times to their employees.
In the past two decades, there has been a growing need to ensure that employee collaboration and innovation are central to business needs.
At the same time, company workforces – having had to work remotely for vast periods in the last two years – now desire more flexibility when it comes to their working environment and the working hours.
Research shows that 71% percent of human resource leaders are now more focused on employee collaboration in 2021.
This is likely to be a major initiative moving forward. On top of these concerns, the last two years gave rise to a massive and deepening skills crisis, which has been dubbed “The Great Resignation”.
The last two years have seen employees leave jobs in droves; The Harvard Business Review reveals that four million Americans left their jobs in July 2021 alone – a trend reflected in statistics across the UK and Europe.
This massive loss of skilled workers from the job market is due to many factors, including lack of support from employers as well as inflexibility regarding their working conditions.
More employees now want to be able to choose when and where they work. They also want to be able get more support from their employers.
All of these factors have led to the hybrid working environment model.
On the surface, this is a combination of remote and office working, which gives most employees the ability to better collaborate with management on which environment compliments their work styles and aids them to best deliver on key performance indicators (KPI’s).
Employing the hybrid environment model will allow companies to reduce their office space costs, as the workforce becomes more agile and can be deployed more efficiently.
Companies should approach the next phase with caution and invest in new communication tools that complement digital and remote working.
As salaries stagnate, workers feel the pain
Inflation has risen to dangerous levels, which has led to a decline in the quality of life for many employees over the past two years.