Expert in the labor market: what we are in 7 years has happened in 3 months: what are the most important changes caused by COVID-19?

The study surveyed 2,520 employees with varying levels of responsibility in 38 industries worldwide. Respondents had to identify what individual values ​​are important to them, what values ​​their organizations lived through before the virus and quarantine, during quarantine, and what can help organizations return to previous activity levels.

During the quarantine weeks, new values ​​such as change, adaptability, personal well-being, and caring for others jumped to the top ten values ​​collected by interviewed employees of various organizations with different levels of responsibility. The importance of distance learning and the family has increased in particular.

“It must be recognized that during several months of quarantine, the culture of organizations has undergone an incredible change in values, which generally takes place in organizations in Europe in 5-7 years, and in Lithuania in 4-5 years,” says J. Gaukštė. – The study shows that pre-virus organizational cultures were more goal-oriented, controlled and hierarchical, but in quarantine, work from home and the changing situation at work and at home forced a greater focus on the needs of employees, adaptability and work capacity in a matter of weeks. together “.

Regarding return to employee needs, respondents cited the health and well-being of their own colleagues as important values, as well as the need for work-life balance like never before. “Despite the challenges of quarantine and working from home, the workers dealing with them felt freer, saw more opportunities to combine work and personal activities, such as listening to training while walking in the woods or attending workshops from normal rest places, such as country houses, says the consultant. “And people seem to like it.”

Converted to family

Interestingly, before the pandemic, work-life balance wasn’t even on the organizational value list, and the family rose as an employee’s personal value from fifth to second. “During interviews with representatives of companies located in Lithuania, it became clear that their employees work even more at home, but they also feel that they spend more time with their family and can take better care of it. They enjoyed being able to go out to the playground with the child during lunch and finish work later in the evening or earlier in the morning. Therefore, there is a growing trend for telecommuting to become the norm. I also know that people living outside of Lithuania have already asked their managers if they will be able to work remotely for a certain period of time one year after the end of the quarantine. What seemed to be an advantage for a freelancer is now available to a permanent employee of the company, “says the woman.

J. Gaukštė shared another surprising discovery. “When I specifically asked managers to list my personal values ​​before quarantine, the family was in a lower place than third. And now he is in first or second place. People have remarkably focused on family health. There were people who, even during the strict quarantine, took vacations. They did not want to have any chance of being called to work and have at least the slightest chance of becoming infected or taking the disease home, “says the specialist.

What is more important than money and career?

The study also showed that before COVID-19, the value of the organizations, the result, was registered in the seventh number, and now it is only in the fifty-eighth position. Another popular for-profit value, achievement, went from eighth to seventy-one. And “wellness” rose to fifth place from twenty-fourth. The same value from the 26th to the 5th “jumped” on the personal lists of employees. “Obviously, employees are no longer so concerned with the company or their own financial achievements. I think what people will negotiate in job interviews will not be a higher salary, but a flexible work schedule that allows them to spend more time. with his family and participate in his favorite activities, “says J. Gaukštė.

Another thing to consider for a specialist is the changing importance of a career. “Career is like an individual matter that is important to a person personally, and during the crisis, the spirit of community has been greatly strengthened. We realized that the health of everyone in the world will determine how we live personally. Overall, most of the values ​​raised during the quarantine are more closely related to other people: “adaptation”, “teamwork”, “care”, “family”, etc. “: the observations are shared by the culture and leadership consultant of the organization.

Control against freedom.

In-depth interviews with leaders of organizations in Lithuania revealed that the conflict of values ​​between control and freedom was evident during the COVID-19 period. This theme was repeated in most interviews with organizations, and seems to have become a real challenge for senior and middle managers.

“Many organizations noted that telecommuting made it difficult for managers to influence employees and reduced their control. Organizations reacted differently to reduced control, – says J. Gaukštė, the experience of Lithuanian companies during the quarantine. “Some organizations have decided to reduce controls, giving employees more freedom, confidence and rewards: greater responsibility and employee performance, better balance between work and personal life.”

Another part of organizations has just strengthened the control and supervision of their employees, introduced additional tools to track when employees connect to work systems, to record the time they spend on systems. “In organizations seeking greater control, employees felt that their powers and confidence had been severely restricted. Specialists and middle managers rated it negatively,” says J. Gaukštė.

Do employees and managers look in different directions?

The study also showed why it is important for organizations to focus to get out of quarantine. However, J. Gaukštė points out how top managers and specialists in organizations differently assess opportunities to return to the normal growth rate and scope of the organization.

“The overall results from the organizations surveyed show that increased employee engagement, innovation, lifelong learning, and open communication can help them get back on track. However, top executives are more likely to believe than drive and innovation will help and pay less attention to employee well-being or confidence-building. Meanwhile, middle managers and employees say trust and participation are very important to them, and only when communication returns after quarantine Open, establishing clear direction in the organization (to see the purpose and meaning of what they do) becomes especially important. Managers, of course, support open communication and direction, but with much less enthusiasm than professionals. “

Therefore, according to the consultant, it is important to unify the vision of the new reality, pay attention to whether past values ​​meet the changing expectations of employees and managers, maintain greater communication through quarantine and rethink whether the direction of your organization remains relevant and gives meaning to your employees.

How managers adapt to changed employee values:

• Talk to the management team about how you see the changed reality. Name not only the numbers, but how you feel.

• Check with your management team about how your values ​​have changed during this period.

• Talk to employees: You will already notice changes in attitudes, values, and attitudes toward colleagues.

• Even if you are focused on innovation and adaptation to new business conditions, it is very important to be able to respond to the needs of employees: a request to trust, engage, point and communicate.

• Pay attention to the different groups in your organization and their needs: older workers, workers who are sensitive to health problems, workers in a single area of ​​expertise, and young familyless colleagues.

Some deny the changes, others change the business model.

It also turned out that some managers find it difficult to accept reality. “They repeated the employees” for another two weeks and we will return to a normal rhythm, “says J. Gaukštė. Everyone should understand that the situation will no longer be what it used to be. In particular, I know of an organization that, in the first phase of his return to the offices created the conditions for 10% of the facilities to work. Workers happened that only 1.5% of those ten arrived “.

And it presents another extreme. “And a company with several hundred employees no longer sees any argument for renting a large building.” His representative assured that the results of working remotely are so good that they plan to change their business model and become a virtual company. We have heard more than one case in the world. Other organizations stay in the middle, looking more flexibly at work hours and sitting in the office. In any case, in the long run, those employers who choose not to react to the changes will lose, ”concludes the interview with the organizational culture and leadership consultant.