Navigating our new normal

Yesterday was the first day in a while I’d gone out, other than the oasis of Coles. I did my hair (well, pulled it out from a scruffy top bun) and wore shoes. It was a kids tennis lesson after all. I stopped on the way back at a 7-Eleven and though the line of 3 people spread the entire shop length, I felt the dust fall off my shoulders and smiled awkwardly at a stranger while we pumped furiously at the sanitiser hitched to the wall. It gets me thinking, when the veil of iso is lifted, what will it be like to step back into the real world?

We’re all thought leaders

It’s been astounding to see the out of the box solutions people have found to keep boredom at bay and business thriving. Hardly a service or celebrity hasn’t brushed up to keep pace with the changing times.Yes, necessity has been the driver for all invention. We’ve seen huge amounts of generosity, boundless creative energy and a whole new world of work emerging.

As a recruiter, here’s how I envisage the world of work might change after lockdown and what fellow recruiters might see on the job front.

Our changing world of work

1. More people looking for a shift to working from home (now that we’ve got used to it, we can see the upsides). Whether full time or one day a week, flexibility is the new job currency.
2. Agility and adaptability will be key. This crisis has shown us that adapting to new work structures, picking up unfamiliar job functions and being able to take on surprise responsibilities outside our job scopes is the new norm.
3. Part time jobs may be more in demand as people opt for better balance to pursue their new found creative interests. Along with this may come the longing for flexibility in work structures and working hours.
4. People may switch gears and embark on following their passions, seeing the end of lockdown as the perfect time to begin something new. 
5. While there will be a new influx of candidates in the market, some who ride the wave will be loyal to the organisations who supported them through this crisis. This may mean less movement at the senior and niche skilled candidate levels.
6. We’ve seen an obvious rise in online products and services. Just about the best set of skills you can equip yourself with will be within the digital space. More jobs with a digital focus will be on demand and the talented and digitally savvy candidates will be able to command more.
7. Face to face interviews might be a thing of the past, at least in the early stages of the selection process. With this, recruiters and hiring managers will need to be flexible and may need to offer greater access to their candidates for online interviews beyond traditional business hours.
8. If being in the office each day is less mandatory, this opens up a greater candidate market for roles being located remotely or flexibly. Without the limitation of location, a much broader candidate base can be engaged.
9. As people continue to be concerned about health and well-being, organisations with a good social heart, solid well-being programs and contemporary leave policies may offer more candidate appeal.
10. Covid-19 has no doubt brought out the very best in us and our empathy for each other. More than ever we’ll need to build genuine relationships, deliver a first rate human service and offer outstanding candidate care.

Read more about the future of work beyond Covid-19 here