Workplaces, they will be a-changin’
As organizations stare down a growing worker shortfall and increased competition, one expert says companies will have to find new ways to retain their current staff — and pull in new hires.
And that no longer includes inoffice perks such as midday yoga and free dry-cleaning, said Catherine Connelly, professor of human resources and management at McMaster University.
“A lot of people were seeing those as red flags,” she said.
“It might sound great, but on the other hand, it sounds like a dystopian nightmare where you never leave work.”
Connelly said workplaces are instead now being forced to examine what else they can offer their employees.
That includes improved wages amid high inflation, better schedule flexibility — such as four-day workweeks — to help promote work-life balance as well as reasonable workloads, employee accommodations and improved workplace conditions that ensure staff are “treated respectfully.”
Organizations are also no longer competing with a company across the street, rather those across the country — and even the world, as virtual work increases in popularity.
However, settling on the structure of a hybrid workplace — defined as a mix of in-person and remote work — won’t be easy, she noted.
Managers will have to take into account factors such as varying employee preferences, the needs of leadership as well as the creation of a cohesive workplace that works for all staff.
That’s where most organizations are now — and will be for some time, Connelly noted.
“It’s hard for companies to come up with a one-size fits all solution,” she added.
“The pandemic just taught a lot of organizations that employees can leave and will leave. They have other options.”
‘‘ It’s hard for companies to come up with a one-size fits all solution.
CATHERINE CONNELLY MCMASTER UNIVERSITY