7 Post Pandemic Workplace Trends That Will Shape the Way We Work

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way we work and collaborate. Remote work and Zoom meetings have become a way of life. Plus, there is a growing emphasis on employee engagement and wellbeing programmes after the mental health challenges came to light in the first year of the pandemic.

Organisations around the globe are keeping an eye on post-pandemic workplace trends. Still, many of them are struggling to identify the paradigm changes shaping employer-employee relations, whether remote and hybrid work or the role of technology. That’s why Manah Wellness is sharing the main post-COVID workplace trends that will shape work culture in 2022 and beyond. Read on!

1. Remote and hybrid work models

A recent poll by Gartner found that approximately 42% of surveyed employees expected remote working models from their employers; this figure was at 30% before COVID-19. Organisations across the globe have adopted remote work models in order to retain talent and work effectively during COVID restrictions. Interestingly, the trend has stayed and along with hybrid work, has grown popular after the restrictions were lifted.

Moreover, this post-pandemic workplace trend has also helped companies to engage new talent from across the world (since location no longer matters!) and to keep infrastructure costs in check. Even small and mid-sized businesses adopted this workplace trend in the last two years!

2. Technology integration

In the initial year of remote working, HRs and managers had their doubts about productivity, performance, and efficiency. A Gartner survey also revealed that nearly 64% of the managers thought office employees are more productive as compared to remote workers.

This led organisations to adopt workflow and collaboration tools that helped managers and decision-makers keep track of employee performance and work progress. These tools are now being used by employees on a regular basis and serve important roles during performance evaluations and appraisals as well.

3. Greater reliance on communication, data analysis tools

In a PeopleStrong study, 75% of senior HRs agreed that collaboration, communication and a mentorship culture between managers and teams is the future of high performing workplaces. This implies that advanced communication and performance management tools, and data-driven decision making will become more critical as remote work gains greater acceptance across the globe.

Even before the pandemic, organisations were using technology tools, but the data wasn’t being collated and analysed on a large scale. This has changed in the past two years. Hence this is one of the most impactful workplace trends of 2022.

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4. Flexible working hours

While COVID-19 disrupted business processes and challenged decision-makers  to innovate, it also gave flexible working hours the attention it deserves. Today, it’s common for employees to request flexible working hours and get approval for the same. HR managers have witnessed that increased flexibility has allowed employees to balance their professional and personal lives and has also improved their mental health.

Here are the benefits of making flexible work hours part of workplace culture:

• Better employee retention rate
• Access to a wider talent pool
• Less disruption of work processes

5. Mental health support

The focus on employee mental health and wellbeing is another post-pandemic workplace trend that’s caught on in the workplace. More and more organisations are introducing employees to wellbeing programmes and employee support initiatives that help manage workplace stress, increase productivity, and improve overall wellbeing.

Wellbeing programmes bring many mental health benefits to employees . Here are some of them:

• They enable quick support for instances of workplace stress, burnout, anxiety, etc.
• They provide people with non-stigmatised and confidential resources to improve their overall health and wellbeing.
• They improve productivity and engagement.

6. Healthier lifestyles

COVID-19 exposed the link between unhealthy lifestyles and reduced immunity. Health experts believe that healthy eating habits not only provide the right nutrition and energy but also make employees feel more engaged and creative at work. That’s why the workplace trend of healthy eating has picked up.

Organisations are hosting 'eat healthy' challenges at the workplace. While some are replacing sugary beverages with fresh seasonal fruits, others are creating awareness through internal newsletters and campaigns. This has promoted a healthy eating lifestyle at work and motivates the employees to stay fit and healthy at work.

7. More wellness activities

Another post-pandemic workplace trend is to incorporate wellness activities at the workplace. This is emerging as a best practice to boost employees' self-esteem, awareness, and brings benefits like better concentration and creative thinking to the office. Some employers offer yoga or meditation on their premises, while others have invested in on-site gyms, games, or wellness rooms.

This trend is likely to continue in the years to come, as employers consciously try to associate the workplace with health and wellbeing, not stress and fatigue.

Did you find these post-pandemic workplace trends useful?

These are some of the post-pandemic workplace trends that organisations have adopted in the past 2 years. While the above ideas are great to bring positive change to your office, it is recommended to collaborate with an experienced employee engagement and wellbeing company for a smooth culture transition.

Do you think that you need to engage your employees better? Consult Manah Wellness for friendly guidance and tailored programmes.

Got questions about employee health and wellbeing? Email talktous@manahwellness.com and get answers from an experienced team of wellbeing professionals.

Get started with free Wellbeing Assessments to improve employee engagement and wellbeing.

Check out our recent blogs and resources as well:

• The definitive guide to employee wellbeing
• Learn about Wellbeing Challenges for high-performance teams
• How to avoid distractions at work in 2022