Tempe Chamber Of Commerce: 8 Workplace Trends Employers & Employees Will Embrace

Press release from Tempe Chamber of Commerce:

Brett Farmiloe

July 19, 2021

What will be the top trends in the future's workplace that both employers and employees will embrace? To help business owners better adjust their workplace policies and plans post-pandemic, we asked CEOs and business professionals this question for their best pieces of advice. From increasing insurance benefits to integrating mental health policies there are several trends that may help you better embrace workplace trends for the growth of your business for years to come.  Build a Stronger Work Culture  Focusing on building a strong culture that centers around the company’s and employee’s values is becoming increasingly important. If employees feel they are supporting something worth doing and/or something that supports values and desires they have, they will be more loyal and put more into their work.   Susan Walker, Walker Bookstore Workplaces have dramatically changed in the last year and I foresee a lot of these changes sticking for the long term. In particular: flexible work where staff can split time from home and the office. This will also necessitate changes to how offices are arranged and administered as they'll require flexible environments that can accommodate variation of staff and their particular needs on a daily basis. Co-working spaces, modular workspace environments, and the like will become the new norm for many businesses.  Mike Jones, Resound Every generation is becoming more and more familiar with the speed and efficiency of new technology — no one wants to waste time. Future companies and employees will embrace the reality that a simple and quick hiring process is key. Whether it's quick application features, social media applications, instant messengers, or AI bots, keeping the hiring process quick and simple will result in a steady pool of qualified applicants. Whether you're looking to hire internally, externally, or applying for a new role, leveraging new technology will get you more wins in a competitive hiring market. Matt Cuellar, United Dairymen of Arizona The number one thing those of us in professional staffing are seeing is "will consider remote only." For jobs that can be done remotely (call center, customer support, most IT roles) as long as employees are performing and meeting KPIs, companies that don't allow WFH will lose these employees. I believe employers are aware of this and will work to develop a model and method that works for their individual businesses. Employers and employees will work in unison to ensure the work environment is clean, healthy, and safe. Paul Quinn, R&K Professional Staffing 2020 was a particularly difficult year for many families. With COVID-19, so many people have lost their loved ones or experienced financial hardship with no safety net. As a result, I would expect that more workplaces will move to increase their insurance benefits as a way to attract employees. The pandemic economy has shown us all how important it is to invest in risk management insurance products to protect against death and loss of income.  Brian Greenberg, Insurist 2020 certainly forced many companies to pivot quickly, but I believe a lot of the change we experienced will be for the better! One trend that I think employers and employees will embrace is a flexible work schedule moving forward. Working from 9-5 was simply not doable nor productive for many employees with children during the pandemic, and I believe employers who offered up a flexible schedule saw the benefits. From increased productivity to higher employee satisfaction scores, this trend is a win-win for everyone involved! Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital I'm excited about the trends happening in the workplace this year. We’ve seen a huge shift to remote work where possible and this is a trend that’s most likely to stay as well. According to The Conference Board , 36% of business leaders are open to hiring workers in the U.S or internally for fully remote work. But it’s also important to remember that while we’re embracing remote work we should also be focused on creating opportunities and strategies to focus on mental health ahd keeping a work life balance. It’s important more than ever as people are likely to prioritize their family and personal needs, so creating company structures to support that will only positively impact us by strengthening employees and teams. Denise Gredler, BestCompaniesAZ One important trend for both employers and employees is creating and nurturing a virtual culture. Since moving to a 100% remote work environment, we have taken a hard look at our online employee engagement. While Zoom and Facetime exist, the daily watercooler moments are much less. For some employees, this works, but for others, more virtual fun and connection is needed. We are building virtual traditions to make everyone feel more connected.  Jenn Christie, Markitors Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published. 

This press release was produced by Tempe Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.