Future of Work

THE FUTURE

OF WORK

The future of work mindset: Building more agility, flexibility and resilience in your organization

The economic, social and healthcare shockwaves caused by COVID-19 have disrupted businesses and lives around the world. The lasting impacts are still to be determined, but one thing we do know is that the crisis has accelerated workforce trends that were already underway, such as remote working, technology-enabled training and global or country teams collaborating based on functional expertise rather than geographical location.

Out of the abrupt changes forced on them by the pandemic, leaders have the opportunity to design the future of work for their employees that can result in a more sustainable and resilient business model. This journey will require a new mindset, one that includes more open ways of interacting and collaborating to overcome the challenges and uncertainties employees may face for some time.

“It starts with listening and collaborating, with respect for different perspectives,” says Laura Rock, Chief Human Resources Officer for Zurich North America. “Listening with an open mind builds trust and gives everyone the confidence to air unique points of view. And that opens up a world of possibilities in problem-solving, innovation, decision-making and service.”

In the near-term, the transition to remote working and the need to incorporate social distancing measures are causing some challenges, especially for businesses with employees who have not worked from home in the past. Recent research from the Society for Human Resource Management found that 71% of employers are struggling to adjust to remote work, and 65% say maintaining employee morale has been a challenge. The same article reported that more than one-third are facing difficulties with company culture.1

At the heart of reshaping and reinventing the workplace is taking care of an organization’s most valuable asset first — its people.

RESILIENCE STARTS WITH EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

A focus on the physical and mental well-being of employees was a pre-COVID-19 trend, and one that is now front and center as the reality of long-term remote working is becoming more certain. As businesses begin to bring employees back to work into a facility, or for essential workers who never stopped working in a facility, the assurance of physical security is now critical in creating a trusting bond between employer and employee.

One of the silver linings of this reentry and recovery period is that leaders have a historic opportunity to strengthen and deepen overall connections with their workforce by addressing feelings that were previously not part of the cultural conversation. Acknowledging the natural human emotions around additional responsibilities, remote working, and juggling personal and work commitments will result in a healthier organization, greater productivity and talent retention in both the near-term and the long run.

Today’s leaders and managers now have more mental, emotional and physical issues to handle with employees. To do so, organizations may want to make healthcare providers and mental health professionals available to the workforce.

FOSTER ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY TO WEATHER FUTURE CHANGE

2020 will go down as a time of unprecedented and forced change in how we work, live and communicate. Virtually no one saw how fast the entire world would be required to adapt, but organizations and people have demonstrated they can adopt more agile ways when lives and livelihood depend on it.

A 2019 Gartner organization design survey found that 55% of organizational redesigns were focused on increasing efficiencies.2 This approach, however, also created vulnerabilities, as systems engineered solely for efficiency resulted in little flexibility to respond to disruptions. To help build resilience for future disruptions, organizations need to formalize how systems and processes can flex when necessary.

For business leaders, the COVID-19 era sheds light on the speed at which their organizations can move away from traditional processes, and how to scale workplace innovation in a short period of time. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman believes that humans who want to adapt in an age of acceleration must develop “dynamic stability.” Although none of us can stop an inevitable storm of change, Friedman encourages leaders to “build an eye that moves with the storm, draws energy from it, but creates a platform of dynamic stability within it.”3

EMPOWER EMPLOYEE FLEXIBILITY IN SKILLS AND SCHEDULES

Prior to the pandemic’s outbreak, the World Economic Forum put forth the concept of cognitive flexibility as one of the top skills needed to excel in a workplace in 2020.4 What is cognitive flexibility, and what does that mean for an employee, much less for the managers and leaders of an organization? One way to think about cognitive flexibility is having the ability to shift mindsets, behaviors and perspectives to adapt to fast-moving situations and profound changes.

Nurturing employees to acquire more cognitive flexibility and adapt to new roles during rapids times of change requires providing cross-functional knowledge and training. “We believe in the power of curiosity

and continuous learning,” Zurich’s Rock says. “Versatility and the ability to learn, quickly and constantly, are likely to become the most sought-after professional traits.”

Organizations that create an environment of continuous learning will be better positioned for a future of work where employees are always upskilling and reskilling to meet new challenges as they emerge.

Forward-thinking organizations will also develop a more resilient workforce by making remote work a choice, not a mandate, to avoid additional stress and lower productivity. Many employees forced to go home during COVID-19 have realized they can be productive in this setting; however, others may long for face-to-face interactions with team members and colleagues.

Almost half of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after COVID-19 eases, according to a recent Gartner poll.5 To help the workforce adapt to this new normal, organizations will need to include training on how to collaborate digitally and adjust performance goals and evaluations for a part-time remote working environment.

As remote working becomes the norm, an organization’s processes and culture will need to enable productive teamwork and clear communications without consistent day-to-day interactions. “Communication between managers and their team members is key to arriving at work arrangements that are fit for purpose,” says Al Crook, Head of

HR Business Partners at Zurich North America. “It’s having a level of discussion that’s different from the past. It doesn’t cross lines or break boundaries — I don’t have to tell you everything about my personal life — but there’s a need for another level of sharing and transparency about what the company’s and employee’s needs are. Then it’s about giving people a series of options that are fit for purpose. And fit for purpose isn’t static; it might be your fit for purpose this week or this summer, and then it changes because you have a parent who gets sick or your child is home because school is closed.”

For example, between 90% and 95% of Zurich’s global workforce has worked from home during the crisis. Research points to the majority of workers being as productive or more productive working from home. Others, however, find themselves less so due to childcare or other family needs, loneliness or other factors. This indicates that employers will have to be more flexible in accommodating both those who work well at home and workers who prefer being in a company office.

“If you want to get the best out of your employees, you have to make the system even more flexible than it used to be,” said Patrick Sloukgi, Group Head of Business Resilience at Zurich. “Management style will have to change.”

THE FUTURE OF WORK MINDSET: PEOPLE + PLACE

To future-proof your workforce and build a more resilient organization, meaningful change is required in both the teams of people you develop and the workplaces that you cultivate.

A resilient workforce is one that has the right skills and experience to achieve its purpose. To attract and engage a flexible workforce, many types of workers are needed and will likely come from disparate geographic locations. Organizations should create a culture of continuous learning to support the skill development necessary in leadership and technology to enable productive teamwork.

Employees are likely to be most productive and satisfied when offered a blend of physical and remote work environments. It’s critical that organizations invest in tools and platforms to support multiple work locations and seamless collaboration. Open and respectful communications between employer and employees are key to addressing needs.

EMBEDDING RESILIENCE TO HANDLE FUTURE UNCERTAINTY

Organizations have been thrust into an accelerated timeline for determining what the future of work will look like. So far, integrating technology and encouraging different employees to collaborate in new ways is resulting in better, faster and even cost-effective ways of operating for many organizations. We know from history that moments of crisis can only be survived through quick, decisive actions by an organization’s leaders. Ensuring the ability to weather tomorrow’s unknown changes, however, requires organizations to create mindfully a sustainable future of work — one that embeds resilience by building agility and flexibility into every process and with each employee

People matter. Put them first.

Employees who feel heard, safe and productive are integral to the success of an organization, regardless of the external events are impacting the work and the workforce. Here are a few tips leaders can use to show up and be there for people every day:

  • Set the tone at the top. How leaders behave defines the culture. Neither overreacting to nor underplaying an event is helpful. Proactive, consistent communications give your people confidence and direction for today and the future.
  • Think of your whole workforce. Your workforce is not just employees, but also partners and vendors. Be sure they are included in conversations and decisions, and set expectations for flexibility and agility from them as well.
  • Commit to a communication strategy. Your workforce needs accurate and authoritative information, as well as transparency. Front-line managers are critical to sharing information, so be sure they know their roles and expectations.
  • Establish employee support methods. Times of challenge and uncertainty create questions, anxiety and stress. Be sure your employees have an outlet to express their voice, and that they have access to professional medical and mental health resources as well.
  1. Alonso, Alexander. “Viewpoint: Here’s What the Future of Work Will Look Like.” Society for Human Resource Management. Accessed 17 July 2020. https://www.shrm.org/
  2. Cheremond, RJ. “9 Future of Work Trends Post-COVID-19.” Gartner, Inc. 8 June 2020. https://www.gartner.com/
  3. St. Louis, Zach. “Thomas Friedman on Human Interaction in the Digital Age.” The Aspen Institute. 10 January 2017. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/
  4. Ahmed, Waqas. This Is the Indispensable Skill That Will Futureproof Your Career.” Fast Company. 16 June 2020. https://www.fastcompany.com/
  5. Cheremond, RJ. “9 Future of Work Trends Post-COVID-19.” Gartner, Inc. 8 June 2020. https://www.gartner.com/work

7    PROGRAM LEADER