COVID-19 Pandemic Continues To Reshape Work in America

We may not know how to go back to our prepandemic lives and selves, even if we wanted to. We asked Gartner Chief of Research Chris Howard what more we need to know about the Great Resignation and how progressive organizations are tackling the people challenges they face as 2022 unfolds. Forget Great Resignation; think “Great Reflection.” We’re in a liminal moment for people and work — and our assumptions as employers must change.

Like many people who began remote work during the pandemic, Ms. Egziabher now prefers working from home so that she can focus on work — not office politics. And some of the companies now attempting to call their staff back are facing a wave of resistance from workers emboldened to question the way things always were — which is to say, difficult for many people. There are people of color whose colleagues wouldn’t stop asking them how to work the copy machine.

Data from the pandemic can guide organizations struggling to reimagine the new office.

Reading tone in written messages is really difficult in all-remote settings. The less face time you have with people, the more an intentionally concise message can come off as terse and short-tempered.

Set up your noise level just the way you want it — somewhere between insanely quiet to being at the front row of a Lady Gaga concert. And if you’re mindful of your workspace ergonomics, you can create a stronger rhythm for your workflows. An important lesson is how to network, which will prove invaluable not only in getting your first job but also throughout your work from home experience career. Study opportunities not only in your organisation but also through meetings with clients, and professional organisations as mentioned above. A specific work placement is a chance to gain more insight into your chosen field. You will also have a chance to gain more insight into an area of work that attracted you – is it really all you have imagined?

Company

Companies with a remote work culture usually offer ways to socialize. For example, they might have channels in a team messaging app, like Slack, for talking about common interests or organizing meetups for people in the same region. Additionally, just because you’re home and can let service people into the house or take care of pets doesn’t mean other family members should assume you always will.