Tectonic shifts that will define the workplace of 2023

If 2022 was about adapting to the new normal, 2023 would be about embracing the ‘’newer’’ normal. The workplace is transforming at an exhilarating pace, possibly the most definitive change most of us have seen in our career span. With it, the way we hire and retain talent is facing a slew of era-defining changes.

Will the workplace in 2023 evolve into an immensely diverse, totally global, and largely virtual space?

What we may envisage as “the best of times” could just as easily turn into the most challenging of times if this moment of change is not harnessed effectively. Organizations will have to adapt in real-time to cater to shifting employee expectations and the new rules for employee engagement As someone with a ringside seat in the theatre where Organisations and Talent meet, I am detecting some ground movements, that if leveraged, will help organizations attract, retain and build great talent for the future.

These are completely my personal views, but I believe that these will be the tectonic shifts that will define the organization’s success in 2023:

The purpose-led leadership:

As the workplace changes, leadership must evolve at a pace faster than that. People-centricity, authenticity, empathy, and adaptiveness will take center stage. Purpose-led leadership will become the potential leader’s most desired competency as purpose slowly becomes the thread that binds the employee to the organization and the organization to the customer. The vision will cease to be top-driven, by the leader alone. Being purpose-driven and redefining the leader-employee dynamic into a human-human relationship, leaders must seek to help their employees see their value, show genuine care, and make them believe that they’re working for something much greater than a paycheck.

Navigating the tides of change

After years of navigating continuous disruptions from digital transformations, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical upheaval, employees are slowly losing their willingness to cooperate with change. A recent survey shows how employees are going through high “change fatigue” and increased work friction, leading to the “quiet quitting” revolution. Organizations will need to adopt an adaptive change strategy, a less prescriptive one, not a top-down approach but a more collaborative one, involving employees throughout the process.

Employee well-being & flexibility

Flexibility will become the norm and not the exception. One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the last year is that the standard workday structure may not be the right option for every organization. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to productivity, instead of enforcing a mandatory 8-hour workday, organizations will need to turn their focus on the results, embracing the idea that outcome is better than input, and quality beats quantity. Organizations will need to consider moving away from creating work-life balance to work-life integration for their employees.

Lastly, unlearn! Learn again to be future-ready

Organizations will have to prepare leaders to manage hybrid teams while keeping them motivated and engaged. Upskilling, recognizing growth, and unlearning will be the key steps to managing this new generation of talent. As the world slowly accepts the challenges climate change poses, environmental, social, and governance(ESG) will need to move to the center of business strategy.

The workplace will continue to metamorphosiz/e, and the talent landscape will keep evolving but the war for talent will only get exacerbated over the next few years. Employee experience and employer branding will continue to be critical differentiators as leaders navigate the minefield, which is, the new battleground to attract the best talent.

Source: GWFM NEWS