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You’ve probably already been hit with the uncomfortable feeling that the world is returning to its pre-pandemic state. You may notice it during rush-hour traffic, in the sheer number of customers in your local coffee shop, or in the tentatively-arranged in-person events in your calendar. It’s exciting to think that we might actually be in a room with real human beings again soon, but, in truth, it’s a little bit daunting too.

But it’s important to remember that, rather than “getting back to the office” or “going back to normality”, we’re actually entering a brand new, and very different, world of work. We can officially stop speaking in the future tense. That “future of work after Covid” we’ve all been talking about for years is here.  

In my recent conversations with leaders and managers, I’ve noticed something really interesting - there are essentially three types of employer emerging as we enter the new world of work.

Group 1 - The Resisters

Some bosses are using language like “getting people back to work”, or “heading back to the office” and their desire for returning to the old way of working is palpable. Let’s call these employers The Resisters. 

I understand their hesitancy. The old way of doing things was simpler for the company and for the bosses, and managers used safe and long-established methods for monitoring people. It was easy to see who was “working” and who wasn’t. Difficult conversations could be conducted in a side room, and team-building could be done at away-days or in the pub on a Friday night (regardless of whether it suited their team’s personal lives!) With people commuting to an office for 40+ hours a week, it was familiar, straightforward and company-centric.

It’s safe to say that many of these companies are in for a rude awakening. Employees are demanding more flexibility and a healthier work-life balance, and companies that fail to offer this will struggle to attract and retain the right people, the people who will be essential in helping them achieve their business goals. 

‍Group 2 - The Radicals

While the Resisters are focusing on returning to the status quo, leaders at the other end of the spectrum have been very busy reimagining their entire organisations. They’ve been rethinking how work gets done, and changing their expectations around their priorities. They’re embracing a high level of change and an employee-centric business model. Their bravery and vision is truly inspiring, which is why I’ve nicknamed them The Radicals.

Their offices are now collaboration spaces. They’ve deployed a suite of technology to facilitate connectedness, information flow, productivity, feedback, goal alignment, innovation, collaboration and all the other great elements of a high-performing, agile organisation. 

These are companies that talented, high-performing people are eager to join. The leaders in these organisations really trust their employees to deliver key results. Managers are coaches rather than clock watchers. The culture is a highly-prized asset and is not left to chance. There is a real competitive advantage for this cohort of companies. In short, they’re talent magnets.

Group 3 - The Realists

Then there’s a third group that lies somewhere in the middle. From chatting with leaders in many different organisations, I know that this is, by far, the largest group. They appreciate that the world of work has changed forever. They’ve heard and seen enough from their people to know that the flexibility experienced over the last two years is precious, and won’t be freely discarded. They, too, see the benefits of an employee-centric approach, but aren’t quite sure how to accommodate everyone's life and work goals. They’re in the process of trying to figure this whole thing out.

They might be asking themselves, “How will customer service needs be met?”, “How can we protect all the great things about our organisation as we spend less time in each other's physical presence?”, “What opportunities might be lost in the process?”, “How will we generate loyalty?” and, “How can we ensure equality of opportunity across all our people in this new way of working?”

The Future of Work After Covid: What’s My Next Step?

By now, it should be clear which group you belong to. The new world of work is already here, it’s already happening, so it’s up to you whether your company embraces or resists these changes. The winners will be the companies that master them.

The only way to do this is to engage with every single person in the business and really figure it out together. By this, I mean the customers, the people and the company. Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it can be disorganised at first, and it certainly requires a lot of talking and planning. But the rewards are huge, and the alternative - losing the people who are crucial to your company’s success - is pretty dismal.

Frankli helps companies take huge strides in the right direction every single day. Our customers sit firmly in the Radical or the Realist group and they’ve chosen Frankli to help scale their culture in this new world. To find out more, you can get in touch with a member of our team and request a free demo. Or you can click here to learn about some more ways of winning in this new world of work.

In the meantime, the question remains; are you going to be a resister, a radical or a realist?

Quick Version: There are 3 Types of Employer in a Post-Pandemic World - Which One are You?

Introduction: The “future of work after Covid” we’ve all been talking about for years is here. Employees are demanding more flexibility, and companies that fail to offer this will struggle to attract and retain the right people.

Group 1 - The Resisters: Bosses who talk about “getting people back to work”, and are keen to return to the old way of doing things, which was simpler for the company, the bosses, and the managers. They’ll struggle to attract and retain the people that they desperately need to help them achieve their goals.

Group 2 - The Radicals: Leaders who are reimagining their entire organisations and embracing an employee-centric business model. Their vision and bravery will make them a talent magnet.

Group 3 - The Realists: Leaders who see the benefits of an employee-centric approach, but aren’t quite sure how to make this work for everyone in the organisation, including their customers.

Conclusion: In the new world of work, the winners will be the companies that embrace and master an employee-centric approach. Frankli helps companies take huge strides in this direction every single day. To find out more, click here or you can get in touch and arrange a free demo.

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