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There is no escaping the fact that within a few weeks, the global health emergency, COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way the world and India will do business. This is an unprecedented situation and adaptation and evolution of the workplace will be key in all companies.
In the days after the long shutdown and social distancing rules published by the Indian government, employment and the labor market are expected to see a whole new normal. With immediate effect, we will see much more emphasis on job security for professionals in India. At times like this, it’s especially important for people with financial commitments, such as children’s education fees or a family home mortgage. People with existing considerations will be reluctant to leave their companies, and we anticipate a much smaller percentage of people open to exploring new opportunities.
Where we will still see some appetite to move jobs is in the health and life sciences industries as well as in technology. These have been recognized as the sectors least affected by the pandemic. Therefore, candidates are more certain about the long-term prospects of companies in these industries. In particular, candidates in job types such as digital analytics and data science will be more open to changing roles.
We will also see a change in the mentality of professionals. Once we begin to see truer times when people can return to a regular work routine, many people in India will reconsider their careers. During all this time working from home, their lives have been shaken in one way or another. Professionals will have figured out what they would like to keep or change in their careers and will make some decisions by seeing things differently. We anticipate a great wave of professionals who want to change their lives and jobs.
Having established that Indian professionals have also been working from home effectively for an extended period of time, companies should also recognize that employees can work from home with relative ease and encourage them to move on. People have seen that this can work and working from home doesn’t necessarily have to be less productive. Professionals will still want to be connected and have an office to go to, but they will also want this to work from the flexibility of home much more than before. Indian professionals will be more efficient working from home as they don’t have to sit in traffic in the first place and any cumbersome travel time is eliminated.
Employers who don’t adapt to this may see their employees move to a company with that option. People are well aware that remote work can be conducive and there will be expectations. There has already been a long-term shift towards virtual work in India and COVID-19 has accelerated it.
This will also create a demand for E-learning and remote virtual learning spaces within training and professional development. The dependency will depend on the digital tools available, as well as those that will be developed soon. A new style of doing things will be online and efficiencies will emerge along with new styles of work. These digital tools will continue to develop and even more financial investments are being targeted than ever before. This change is accelerating and in the coming months we will see many changes here.
Working on work engagement and how to keep them interested remotely will be key for companies. Their mental health or well-being will need to be considered while ensuring job security. Connectivity, remote team interaction and company culture will be a challenge for India in this era.
This could create new opportunities for roles in engagement management. Someone in a company that facilitates and initiates interconnectivity through layers and the organizational matrix. There will be a great need to represent as a guardian of culture, keep people connected, and constantly remind the leadership team of the importance of commitment while working remotely.
For professionals in India who want to change jobs during this pandemic time, always assess first what change you want to make and whether you can achieve it in your current company. Keep in mind that if you have a good organization, there is always the option of internal mobility to develop your career within the company. This is the best option for you because your colleagues know your skills and abilities. Making a change in the industries will be a challenge right now. So consider the fact that if you are in the right sector with a growing company, you will grow as a professional.
Hiring managers trying to attract professionals in this market will have to prioritize job security when communicating the role to candidates. From our current observations, there is a much greater distinction between seeking and non-seeking candidates. There are very strong professionals who are actively seeking work and the companies that can identify them will have a greater chance of success in obtaining the best talent.
The author is Managing Director, Michael Page India. This is part of a series of various articles written by economists and industry experts on the path India must take to survive the Covid crisis.
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