Are you tired of hearing the term ‘new normal’? So are we. But how long will it last, and has COVID-19 really caused as permanent a shake-up to the workspace as we know it? Experts weigh in and offer tips for workplace success in a post-pandemic world.

Remote working

In almost any conversation among friends in the first few weeks of lockdown, there would’ve been commiseration about the challenges, or shared appreciation of the joys of working from home (WFH). In fact, you can’t exclude WFH from any discussion of the COVID-19 reality. But is it here to stay? Lenwhin Arendse, managing director of Aspire Human Capital Management, suggests employers would have a hard time convincing employees to make a full return to working from the office, highlighting the tension between employees’ and leadership’s preferences. ‘Employers will be under pressure to find a balance between the business need to have employees in the office, and the employees’ preference to work from home,’ he says. ‘The first question that each business will have to answer is, “Is there a real operational need to have our people at the office, or is this merely a preference of the leadership?”’ Did you find the transition to remote working quite a bumpy one? Sorry to break it to you, but the truth is this is less an interim solution and more a permanent alternative to the office set-up, which means now that you’ve adapted to the new way of working, mastering it is your key to success. ‘Workers will need to be more proficient in messaging tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat,’ says Prof Chris Adendorff, senior futurist and presidential commissioner for the South African Fourth Industrial Revolution. ‘They also need to be well-versed in video-conferencing tools like Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts.’

The machines are here to stay

You knew it before COVID-19 reached our shores, but the pandemic has only accelerated businesses’ adoption of machine learning and robotics, which sadly, in many cases, puts large chunks of the workforce out of jobs. Chris says, ‘Employers will also anticipate a significant shift in the division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms for the tasks of today,’ citing a shift from 71% to 58% of total task hours across various industries to be performed by humans, and an increase from 29% to 42% by machines or algorithms. Don’t be put off by this though; machines can do many things, but they ultimately lack insights a human can draw from analysing data. To thrive in this evolved workspace, see technology as a catalyst to your own upskilling. ‘Skills growing in prominence include analytical thinking and active learning, as well as technology design, highlighting the growing demand for various forms of technological competency,’ says Chris.

Build trust

Remote working has pushed employers to do what a rigid work-from-office setup held them back from all along: trusting employees to produce quality work even when they weren’t sitting right in front of them. ‘The different working-from-home models will require a change in the traditional command-and-control mindset of employers,’ notes Lenwhin. ‘The trust relationship between employers and their employees will be emphasised due to no physical supervision of employees.’ The challenge to trust employees could be borne out of the lack of structure and routine associated with sharing an office space daily without the distractions of family or pets. So, how can you as an employee guard your productivity? ‘You will need to plan your daily routine and actively manage yourself,’ suggests Lenwhin. This includes managing work/life balance, especially because, as he references, research suggests productivity has been maintained or increased during WFH – but at the expense of employees’ personal lives. ‘This is an opportunity to foster a culture of trust and transparency within organisations as employers and employees tackle the challenge of balancing business requirements and the safety and health concerns of employees.’

Permanently non-permanent

All businesses are having to cut their cloth according to their means, and human capital is no exception. Lenwhin and Chris both note we can expect to see a rise in non-permanent work opportunities being advertised, i.e. freelance gigs and fixed-term contract work. ‘Depending on industry and geography, between one half and two thirds of companies are likely to turn to external contractors, temporary staff and freelancers to address their skills gaps,’ says Chris. This is driven by a need to complete tasks, with employers being strategic with budgets, opting to pay per job as opposed to getting locked into a permanent contract with employees, suggests Lenwhin. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re a freelancer, it means the market is ready for you. If you’re seeking work, it means you’d be smart to be open to all opportunities, even if they can’t offer permanent employment. In the wake of lockdown retrenchments, the job market is even more competitive, so don’t limit yourself to only permanent opportunities advertised.

Skills to make it in a post-COVID-19 workspace

Instead of fearing all that could go wrong with COVID-19’s advancement of technology take-up by employers, spot opportunities to work alongside it or fill in the gaps no machine is capable of filling itself. Chris suggests the following specialisations will be sought after as technological innovation continues to reach every edge of society:

Technological skills

• Data analytics

• Software and application development

• E-commerce

• Social media

Soft skills

• Customer service

• Sales and marketing

• Training and development

• People and culture

• Organisational development

• Innovation management