The top 5 workplace trends for 2020.
As a new decade rolls in (happy twenty twenty!) and everyone does their ‘last decade’ posts on social media, it made us think about how much workplaces have changed in the past ten years. The changes has been significant and the impact on the people that work in them has been huge. One of the challenges we often hear HR teams talk about is the volume and velocity of change they have to deal. It can feel crippling at times. While many HR leaders are adaptive and progressive, there is so much change coming at them so quickly, it can be difficult to manage.
Technology has made ‘gigging’ or having a side hustle a very real and meaningful job for many. Baby boomers make up a large part of the labour force. Millennials are taking charge. Technology enables us to work differently, disparately and yet, be connected at all times. Workplaces need to, and in many cases are, becoming emotionally smarter. Employee mental wellbeing is on everyone’s radar.
To help you get ahead of the game, here are the top impacts that HR need to consider as we head into the new year. How will they impact your twenty twenty people plans?
Our top 5 workplace predictions that you need to consider in 2020.
#1. Flexible work hours
There has been a lot of focus over the last few years on flexible work hours and ‘should we’ or ‘shouldn’t we’ work a fixed 8 x 5 week. Dr Travis Bradbury, award-winning author and emotional intelligence consultant, says the 8 hour day hinders our performance and instead advocates for a 1 hr on, 15 mins off ratio. His research has found that this creates the optimum environment for focus and concentration, and allows our brains time to ‘recover’, ready for the next task.
Progressive companies are already instituting flex-time allowing employees to start early, finish late or split their day around their life. This approach means employees can balance out other life activities – whether it is picking up grandkids from school, working on their own hustle or just working when they are most productive – with the requirements of their role.
So think of your early risers, your night owls and your day-time exercise fans and consider how you can incorporate flex-schedules into your work day.
#2. Emotionally safe workspaces
Emotional safety, or psychological safety, is something companies will focus on more intently in 2020. Emotionally safe workplaces are those where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas freely, without the fear of being criticised or opening themselves up to negative feedback.
When employees feel safe to bring their best to work, express their greatest ideas even if they seem a little off the wall, openly share knowledge and information, amazing things can happen. Creating an environment where ideas can flow freely gives employees a powerful voice, driving innovation, creativity and positively impacting the bottom line.
Even companies that that thrive on innovation can benefit from putting emotional safety on the agenda. While there may be some teams that are comfortable and confident with sharing it all, others may not feel the same sense of security. This was the case at Google, a company considered to be exceptionally innovative and creative, who found after a four year study that there were significant variances from team to team. The study also found that the success of teams was determined by the level of emotional safety within that team.
The take-away? Focus on building a culture where individuals are celebrated, there is a deep sense of trust, your team are encouraged to make mistakes and risks are applauded. Australia Post do this through an incubator program where employees are given funds to test out ideas. If they fail, the failure is celebrated in front of the whole company with a focus on the learnings. Amazon use Jeff Bezos’ ‘two pizza’ approach’ – where meetings teams with no more employees than two pizzas can feed, meet to solve issues that impact the company. This limits innovation killers like social loafing - where people slack off in a large group as they feel less responsibility for output - and groupthink - described by Psychology Today as the concept that people go with the flow vs challenging ideas critically when in a large group.
Whatever industry you work in, creating an emotionally safe workplace is vital for a thriving team.
#3. Working remotely
Remote work will continue to grow in popularity and companies that offer remote work options will attract the best talent. Whether it is Boomers seeking more flexibility less commitment, Millenials on a work-study-work schedule or talented team members who prefer to live outside the concrete jungle but don’t want the crazy commute, remote work will continue to be hugely attractive to all employees.
It is estimated by Indeed, that 68% of Australian companies have a remote work policy but it is not a simple as giving someone a laptop and hoping for the best. Expectations need to be fair, guidelines need to be set out
Tools like Teamwork, Monday, Zoom, Todoist, Slack and Workplace mean that you can track Teamwork at the regular Monday meeting, Zoom through the Todo(ist) list and make sure that there is no Slack - even if your team are working from the beach. Now that sounds like a Workplace we want to be part of.
Need more reasons? The Indeed survey found the benefits of remote work for companies with a sound policy include more productive employees (67%), improved morale (64%), reduced absenteeism and employee turnover (57%) and operational cost savings (51%).
#4. Employing the self-employed
Technology, access to information and the evolving work landscape means a lot of your current employees are likely considering doing it for themselves. Whether it is using their well-honed expertise to set up their own business, or going out on their own in a total new field, ABS data indicates that over 70,000 business are started each year. But rather than losing employees to their own thing, and losing all the knowledge and know-how, companies are increasingly employing ex-employees as consultants or gig-gers.
And this seems like a smart move. Ex-employees know the company and how it works. They know the people, teams, managers and culture and customers. They know how to get things done. So assuming they left on good terms and their new venture is not competitive, makes for good business to do business with them. Whether it is a senior leader who has experience and funds behind them, and just wants to work a few days a week, or a young up-start with a brilliant idea, just because these employees want to take the brave step on their own, does not mean you need to give up their expertise.
#5. Inter-generational opportunities
We have all heard and probably experienced the whole ‘five gens under one roof’ phenomena. At first there were some challenges but as we have become more adept at one-to-one leadership, recognising individuals for their unique contribution, become better listeners and more deeply connected, we are now equipped to maximise the benefits of inter-generational opportunities.
The older generations in most workplaces today did not grow up with technology but most of them have embraced it – or at least, recognise the good things it brings to our work and personal lives. While your grandmother may still refer to it as ‘that interwebs thing’ most of the older employed know what it is and how to get the most out of it.
Now that we have – or maybe because we have - worked out how to work together inter-generationally, there is an increasing openness to learning from each other, willingness to listen to generational viewpoints and acknowledgement that a company with true diversity is a company that profits.
All of these predictions will lead to more innovative, connected workplaces where your employees can thrive. So as you finalise your 2020 people strategy, think about how these trends will impact how you do things.