How workplaces are changing and will continue to change

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Workplaces need to redesign their concept of work norms and learn to adapt and draw value from the lasting impacts of the pandemic, according to a report.

Infosys, a consultancy, and WSJ Intelligence, a research arm of the Wall Street Journal, issued a report based on a survey of senior executives. It explored workplace trends that have emerged from the pandemic — such as hybrid and remote work and the economy’s impact on the labour market — and how both employees and employers feel about it all.

It noted five key trends. First, productivity isn’t impacted by where you work, but it depends on the sector.

While a majority said they’re more productive when working remotely, a similar number said there are benefits to productivity by being in office. But, certain industries like high-tech (64 per cent) and telecom (54 per cent), were most likely to implement a “work from anywhere” model.

The second trend was that there is no single solution for remote work but visibility matters to leaders. Respondent agreed that each company should make policy decisions based on business needs, industry, and work culture. Across industries, nearly half (46 per cent) of leaders agreed office visibility was still important to evaluate performance.

Third on the list was work-life balance and its relationship to remote work. Three-in-five respondents said work-life balance improved with remote work. Only 43% were able to achieve this balance pre-pandemic when working in the office.

Next, employers need to ensure that their business strategy aligns with purpose. Employees (75 per cent) want to see businesses supporting causes, ensuring sustainability and operating with a purpose. This is an important strategy for talent retention and recruitment.

Finally, employers are looking more for skills (64 per cent) rather than degrees (53 per cent) as they retool their plans to hire, onboard and upskill workers.

“One model isn’t better than the other, which means gone are the days where location matters,” said Tan Moorthy, executive vice president and head of delivery for the Americas at Infosys. “Employers will make the call on who comes into the office and who doesn’t based on what each worker can do. Skills and abilities — not degrees or showing up at an office — will drive post-pandemic workplace norms.”