Following the news in February 2024 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Americans who test positive for coronavirus will no longer have to isolate for five days, the ever-changing landscape of post-pandemic remote and hybrid working looks set to shift once again.
But while every business and employee has a strong opinion on whether working in the office, at home, or flexibly is best, there is something much more important happening in the background.
Future of work trends are beginning to show that a new breed of employer is emerging in its wake.
The successful post-coronavirus employer recognizes the essential elements that make up modern work and life, responds to the needs of its workforce as well as its market, and can provide convenience and support to every single team member to help retain staff and, crucially, increase productivity.
It’s an environmentally-minded, future-focused, flexible employer that retains happy staff and enjoys healthy profits.
But don’t just take our word for it. According to a recent survey by Future Forum, workplaces that provided fully flexible office conditions between 2020-2022 enjoyed 21% revenue growth compared to companies that insisted their employees worked in the office, which saw only 5% revenue growth.
How did this difference emerge?
Let’s have a look at the things that matter to employees – and therefore should also matter to their employers – in 2024.
A well-established and goal-oriented company knows that building customer relationships and focusing on customer care is the key to ensuring healthy profits and workstreams for the long term.
But analysis of future of work trends shows that a truly modern, astute business also understands the importance of making sure their employees are also satisfied, rather than simply paid at the end of a month with a few holidays thrown in for good measure.
This means having an active role in the workforce’s work/life balance, their physical and mental wellness, challenges, successes, and growth and development. In 2024, if an employer doesn’t at least go some of the way to contributing to these factors, many employees are voting with their feet and finding another employer who does.
In 2024, DEI will no longer be an add-on paragraph at the end of a company policy document. According to top business forecasters, a business that is in tune with its workforce will need to embed these policies into its entire organization in a meaningful way.
Hyrid work trends are well known as a neat solution for those employees who have family members to care for, such as children or elderly relatives, but flexible working benefits an enormous number of diverse people, each with their own needs and external commitments.
A new, integrated approach to DEI will radically transform how business leaders interact with their teams; the focus will no longer be what the business achieves, but how it does it. This is a solid foundation on which to build a truly successful business that can always adapt and find new ways to make a great profit for everyone to enjoy.
{A smiling man and woman sit at a white desk in a white office with Post-It notes and a laptop in front of them}
According to Forbes, sustainability is the single most important area in which we all as business owners must make conscious behavioral changes.
To fully appreciate our actions and take meaningful steps to significantly reduce our impact on the planet will take a reassessment of all aspects of our working lives – whether that’s who our suppliers are, our recycling and reusing policy, our travel policy, and deciding where we all work from.
While this can feel like a lot to juggle, alongside keeping our teams truly cared for and fulfilled, the very act of running a sustainable business is an appealing factor to an increasing number of prospective candidates, not least Millennials and Gen Z.
Aside from remote work trends being here to stay, a future-thinking business that provides a flexible employee shuttle service for their team when they do go into the office will be providing a catch-all solution to many of the issues employees currently face.
A dynamic transport system within a business setup will provide a serious perk for employees and streamline their commutes. Whether employees are full-time in the office or working in a hybrid model, an employee shuttle service offers reliable, stress-free, and 100% carbon-neutral transport.
And if a business has team members who come into the office on different days at different times, the data-driven insights that come with a professional transportation service like this will allow for changes to be made easily, costs to be kept to a reasonable level, and employee take-up monitored to allow for adaptability in the future.
Following the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised that Americans who test positive for coronavirus no longer need to isolate for five days, the changing landscape of post-pandemic working is adapting once again.
But, while there are many opinions about future of work trends – like whether remote, office, or hybrid work trends are best – there is a more significant phenomenon emerging from these changes.
A new breed of empathetic employer is emerging in its wake, and it could leave traditional competitors far behind. It is an environmentally-minded, future-focused, flexible employer that retains happy staff and enjoys healthy profits.
There are numerous ways that a business can adapt to stay ahead of the game, from creating a more positive overall employee experience through supporting mental and physical health to embedding DEI policies and sustainability practices firmly within working practices, but there is one action that can make changes in all areas.
Providing an corporate shuttle service is a huge advantage to a successful business; providing teams with a flexible, stress-free commute for those days when they are at the workplace, laying the foundations for a more productive working day, all while contributing to a sustainable and lucrative future for everyone.
To make the first steps in being a corporation of the future, businesses can connect with Swoop to receive a bespoke, flexible, and reliable service using vetted local drivers and in turn, align with the ever-changing needs of their varied workforce.
Swoop is an all-in-one transportation solution for all your transportation needs - from commuter shuttling, executive VIP transportation, and large-scale events.
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