Flexible working is a hot topic that's rapidly making its way into the SME (small-medium-sized enterprise) market, especially after covid and all its repercussions on businesses Due to covid-19, many small to medium businesses have had to disband their in-house team, and those that were left working found themselves at home. This was especially prevalent in industries like social media advertising agencies, customer services relations, online-focused eCommerce brands and B2B businesses.
While some semblance of normality is likely to return in due course, the precise form of that return to routine remains far from certain. Of 1,250 British respondents quizzed for their views, widespread apprehension was recorded relating to 'pent up' emotions built up over months of lockdown. Acknowledging that social distancing measures are likely to translate into fewer instances of physical harassment, the report considers the pessimist's side of the coin - in that fewer staff may make individuals more vulnerable.
Kate Lister is a widely recognized thought leader on trends that are changing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of work. As the founder of Global Workplace Analytics, she has been helping organizations understand, pilot, scale, and optimize their workplace strategies and work practices for nearly two decades. Kate was one of only three witnesses invited to testify before a U.S. Senate committee regarding the post-pandemic potential for distributed work in government.
Many organisations are entering the year facing economic headwinds, while the early promises of AI have yet to be fully realised and hybrid working has still not fully settled. Leaders will be asking what it will take to unlock higher productivity in a period of uncertainty. At the same time, the labour market will feel unusually static. With a frozen jobs market for recent graduates, fewer people will want to take risks by moving roles.