The world of work changed beyond recognition in 2020, and continued to adapt to the pandemic over the following two years. However, as we move into a new year leaving Covid-19 behind us, we are now in an adjustment phase. Employees are settling into the new normal and making the changing world of work work for them.
So, what trends will shape the future of your job in 2023?
1. Demand for greater flexibility
Over one third of UK workers have embraced hybrid working, but the demand for increased flexibility continues to grow, with the term now relating to hours and days worked as workers struggle to manage personal and professional commitments. The 9–5 work day is no longer suitable for the majority of workers, which is why companies which offer completely flexible work days and autonomy on projects are seeing a higher demand for roles than those that remain rigidly stuck to the 9–5.
2. Calls for pay transparency
Last year saw the introduction of pay transparency laws across the U.S., and as we move through 2023 we can expect to see a demand for transparency move across the Atlantic. In the era of quiet quitting and a tight labour market, workers are becoming savvier about compensation and ensuring that their salary matches that of their co workers. This is particularly important among women, as the gender pay gap continues to widen, with UK women earning 8% less than their male counterparts.
3. An increased need for soft skills
As hybrid working shows no signs of disappearing, workers are starting to see that along with the saved commuting time and ability to do chores in between Zoom calls, also comes negative impacts such as proximity bias.
This refers to a manager’s unconscious reasoning that those they see more frequently are working harder. While companies such as HubSpot have established programmes to tackle the phenomenon, for the rest of us the responsibility rests on the workers.
What this means for our day-to-day work life is that we need to develop and grow our soft skills such as emotional intelligence, networking, communication, and the ability to build relationships without the support of an office kitchen or monthly after-work drinks.
4. Return of the office friendship
We’ve mastered remote onboarding, virtual meetings are the norm and software such as Slack and Teams has made instant messaging easier than ever. However, for the majority of workers social isolation remains a problem, with 72% of workers saying they’ve felt lonely within the last month.
There’s no disputing that workplace relationships are good for your career, with the ability to network with, and learn from colleagues a perk of office-based roles. However, as our working lives continue to move online, some employees, especially those at an early career stage, are missing the opportunity to make genuine friendships with workers.
This will result in a return of workplace drinks, in-person lunches and extra days in the office for social interactions, team building and creative brainstorming sessions.
5. Focus on employee experience
From non-financial benefits such as employee stock programmes and health insurance to an increased focus on diversity, equality and inclusion, workers expect a higher level of employee experience than they did several years ago.
The change to the world of work and the constant struggle for companies to find and retain talent, means that solely focusing on financial compensation as a way to motivate staff is a dated approach.
Instead, companies looking for employee buy-in need to focus on the overall day-to-day experience of the workers. Beanbags and coffee machines aside, this can include flexible paid time off, continued training and education, or truly flexible working days.
Does your current role make you happy, and are you satisfied both inside and outside the office? If not, The London Economic Job Board is filled with companies currently recruiting that have embraced the new way of work, highlighted by the three exciting roles below.
Content Strategy Manager, ByteDance
As Content Strategy Manager with ByteDance you will work with the team to launch Lemon8, a social media platform committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, where people can discover new content and creators every day. You will translate goals set by the management team into top-line metrics and develop a go-to market strategy for Lemon8 in the UK. To apply you will have strong knowledge about creators’ talent pools, and will have experience working with cross functional partners, ideally in a tech environment. Apply for this job now, or browse all available opportunities at ByteDance.
Senior System Engineer, TikTok
As Senior System Engineer with TikTok you’ll have first-hand exposure to the strategy of the company in key security initiatives, especially in building scalable and secure-by-design systems and solutions. You will be researching, designing, and implementing security properties and architecture solutions based on trusted computing and hardware root-of-trust, which meet internal and external security compliance and standards. This role requires five-plus years’ of relevant work experience in major tech companies, and first-hand work experience with hardware root-of-trust. Get more details on this role here, or discover more opportunities at TikTok.
SEO Content Strategist, Bauer Media
The SEO Content Strategist at Bauer Media will be responsible for implementing SEO editorial processes to deliver growth in organic traffic and search visibility by making content recommendations on brands across its portfolio. You will develop a strategy for organic growth as well as creating weekly and monthly SEO reports, showing progress, and identifying weakness or lost opportunities. You will require a proven track record working in SEO, preferably within a content/publishing environment, as well as experience with using keyword tools for research and competitor analysis. Apply for this job now, or explore other opportunities at Bauer Media.
Explore The London Economic job board to find your perfect opportunity.
