Lately, I've thought about the many ways the Covid-19 pandemic will impact the future workforce. Primarily, I predict hybrid offices will become more popular as will fully-remote gigs. That said, I don't think a hybrid workforce or an increase in fully remote work will become mainstream until more Millennials assume control of agencies and companies.
It appears that older Gen Zers and Millennials are far more comfortable with working remotely than their employers and potential employers. Naturally, they have an advantage because they've experienced most, or some, of their lives online.
I've heard varied sentiments from candidates regarding remote work. Many say they can't imagine returning to the office full-time. I've also heard from some Boomer-aged employers that adapting their teams to remote work hasn't gotten significantly more manageable, and they prefer their employees working in the office.
While most candidates anticipate more remote opportunities or remote flexibility to integrate into their "new normal," their Boomer employers appear keen on "getting back to normal" by eventually phasing out remote work with an emphasis on employees working in the office.
My belief if you can't put the genie back in the bottle. If employers intend to phase out remote opportunities, they should consider the pushback from current and potential employees. Especially those who are vigilant about their health or who feel remote work benefited their productivity, work-life balance, or overall job satisfaction. From where I sit as a recruiter, a warning for employers, if you want to attract great candidates and keep the employees you've got, you'll need to adapt to the new norm.
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