DEEP DIVE
The work we want has changed — but its value hasn’t
Covid-19 brought many changes and accelerated several long-term mega trends that characterise the changing world of work. One of the most significant has been to the way we work.
At the height of the pandemic, huge numbers of people rapidly switched to remote working. Others had their roles disrupted by new regulations. Amid such upheaval, many felt the need to reassess their personal priorities. Now, people in many regions seem to be spending less time working. Research by the ADP Research Institute found that the average working week in 2023 was the shortest in five years. The largest fall in hours worked was among the highest-paid quartile, suggesting that at least some of the shift is down to choice, rather than internal restructuring or lack of demand. Prominent among the groups working less were female and younger workers, adding to evidence of a substantial shift in attitudes. But other demographics are also part of this trend: US workforce data, for example, indicates that older workers have been quitting the workforce at record rates, with a growth in early retirement.
As part of their search for a new work-life balance, employees may seek part-time roles or opt for flexible contracts that allow for weekly variation. Barry Asin, chief analyst at global staffing and workforce solutions research and advisory firm Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), says that in healthcare, for instance, an approach that incorporates variable working hours has become increasingly common. “Many of those healthcare professionals are deciding that traditional jobs are not their ‘thing’ anymore,” explains Asin. “They'd much rather work on a temporary basis — work for three months and then take three months off and recover.”
Besides the time spent on work, there's also the question of where work is done. “Candidates now always ask for flexibility around home working,” says Verónica Rodríguez Largacha, human resources director for Spain and Portugal at Bosch Group. Like many other companies, Bosch is striving to accommodate employees’ evolving preferences without neglecting business needs. But the bottom line is clear, says Largacha: “It’s best for the business to have happy people, because happy people are high-performing people.”
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Many of those healthcare professionals are deciding that traditional jobs are not their ‘thing’ anymore. They'd much rather work on a temporary basis — work for three months and then take three months off and recover.
Barry Asin
Chief analyst Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)
The case for work
While many are rebalancing their priorities, and perhaps putting in fewer hours, work is still fundamentally important to our society. “It goes back to Abraham Maslow’s classic hierarchy of needs,” says Viktorija Proskurovska, labour market intelligence manager at the World Employment Confederation (WEC). “Work serves us at the basic level of safety, giving us a way to secure financial resources.”
But once we have met those basic security needs, we view work as more than just a source of income. “It can enhance our sense of identity, give us purpose and direction, build confidence and provide social connection,” says Proskurovska. By the same token, the negative repercussions of unemployment for mental health can be severe.
While attitudes to work are shifting in every part of the world, they aren't always moving in the same direction. The World Values Survey 2023 found that, while just 73% of UK workers and 80% of US workers rated work as a very or rather important aspect of their lives, other nations got far higher numbers, with the Philippines and Indonesia recording scores as high as 99%. An obvious reason for this is that workers in developing economies may not have the luxury of moving away from work, as some do in the developed world.
Strikingly, despite workers’ changing priorities, global data reveals that workforce participation has increased in recent years. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), global unemployment has fallen quickly since spiking at the beginning of the pandemic, reaching 5.3% in 2022, below 2019 levels. Work remains relevant and highly valued for the vast majority of people.
of senior executives
say that workers now value flexibility as much as factors such as pay
The implications for business
Our research suggests that senior executives recognise the significance of these changing priorities. In our recent global survey 83% say that workers now value flexibility as much as factors such as pay, while 82% say the idea of a person following one career path in their lifetime has gone for good as workers seek greater variety.
There are several implications for businesses. One is the requirement to accept that talent will come to the workplace with a variety of attitudes and expectations. Consequently, providing a wide range of both opportunities and options for workers will be important in expanding the talent pool. One aspect of this may be making greater use of agency personnel on fixed-term contracts and offering more part-time roles.
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If you have tech skills, you learn by the projects you're on. The exchange of knowledge goes both ways.
Dr Anna Gurun
Director of future of work HSM Advisory
Temporary or project-based fixed-term contracts can not only fulfil some people’s desire for variety and autonomy, but also contribute to a thriving skills ecosystem. Dr Anna Gurun, director of future of work at UK consultancy HSM Advisory, points out that this is why many people with in-demand digital skills work on contracts. “If you have tech skills, you learn by the projects you're on,” she explains. Depending on the company, a variety of projects cannot always be offered in a permanent role. And crucially, Gurun points out, “The exchange of knowledge goes both ways.” Organisations benefit from bringing new personnel in as much as those individuals benefit in terms of their own development.
Bosch’s Rodríguez Largacha says the desire for varied work is particularly strong among younger workers. “With the new generations of workers, after they spend two years – or even a few months – doing the same thing, they start to look for something new,” she says. But businesses shouldn't misconstrue this as making it inevitable that they will lose workers, rather, they can help workers to access learning opportunities and prepare them to take on new roles within the organisation.
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With the new generations of workers, after they spend two years – or even a few months – doing the same thing, they start to look for something new.
Verónica Rodríguez Largacha
Human resources director for Spain and Portugal Bosch Group
Increasingly, the emphasis is on self-directed development, giving employees more control over their learning. “We used to map out career plans for employees," says Rodríguez Largacha. "Now, they make Bosch has created an internal skills hub where employees can create profiles displaying their skills, allowing the them to apply for vacant roles or project-based opportunities. “Our message is, ‘You can grow with us, you can choose your own development path. You can balance your work and private life. We can inspire each other',” explains Rodríguez Largacha.
As well as internal career coaching, many companies may find it valuable to partner with an external career support services provider. Working with external advisors can still build internal mobility, but some employees may be more open about their career goals with someone they don’t normally work with.
It's undeniable that many people have decided they want to adjust how they work. Yet the fundamental importance of work as a source of income and of personal confidence and dignity has not changed.
A one-size-fits-all approach to accommodating the range of new requirements from employees won’t be effective for employers. If businesses want to remain competitive in the ongoing battle to attract and retain talent, they need to be increasingly flexible and responsive, listening closely when candidates explain how they want to work.
The World Employment Confederation is the voice of the private employment services industry at the global level, representing national federations as well as workforce solutions companies from across the world. Members of the World Employment Confederation represent a wide range of HR services, including agency work, direct recruitment, career management, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Managed Service Provider (MSP).
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