Newsletter 1 - Workplace Trends

I am currently doing a series of weekly newsletters for my "Career Happiness Mentor" mailing list. So I thought I would do a deeper dive on some of the things I am talking about in a biweekly newsletter on here too.

Some of the Key things I will be speaking about in these newsletters are:

1. Workplace Trends - I talked about organisational trends for 2024 and workplace culture trends. I will be talking about this a bit more in this newsletter and what I am seeing in my work.
2. Popular Podcast Episodes - I will being doing a series of 2 newsletters on this and I will only address 2 of the episodes in the next bi -weekly newsletter.
3. Working with me - You will hear more about how to work with me one one to and what this looks in March this will be the third bi weekly newsletter.

In this current fortnightly newsletter I will look into the workplace trends more.

Why do you need to think about this?

As a careers adviser and careers coach the world of work is ever changing. The trends I mention here are important because people are taking working life and culture more seriously.

I spoke about three organisational trends in my current newsletter

1. Hybrid working
2. Skills Based Hiring
3. Employee wellbeing

What do you think about these three trends and have you seen a difference in your organisation with regards to this?

Currently I am seeing more of my clients tell me they want more of a focus on Employee wellbeing. Which I touch on in a bit more detail in this newsletter.

Hybrid working - is something many of us now dealing with and this allows many people to have a role that's flexible and works around them. There are various advantages around Hybrid working. Essentially it is continuing to be the norm because many offices are closing. Or using spaces that are now used for crucial in-person meetings or for hot-desking only. The flexibility to be remote or in person gives people a role where they have variety. I spoke more about this in Episode 188 Of The Career Happiness Podcast - Is flexible working really the answer to burnout? You can listen to the full episode here to find out more - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-188-is-flexible-working-really-the-answer-to/id1450116167?i=1000632847436

When we think about Skills based hiring. More organisations are looking at the actual skills someone has or can in fact have the scope towards. It's also about the individual potential someone has and not just about qualifications. I will talk about upskilling later on in this newsletter but skills are seen as something many employers want from their employees. Especially if specific skills can help that industry.

Also there is much talk around a skills shortage and HR experts say this will in the future affect how people will be recruited. See article here to find out more https://www.spottedzebra.co.uk/post/why-skills-based-hiring-will-be-more-important-than-ever-in-2024 . So ignoring developing your skills may harm your future career development.

So why is Employee wellbeing so important?

This may seem like a pretty obvious question with a obvious answer but the truth is it's a lot more wider then just being about burnout and toxic workplace culture.

It's shown that when an employee's wellbeing is addressed through a bespoke approach. They are more likely to stay there. In fact by supporting employees around this it can help them feel supported. Especially if they have a chronic condition and need to work from home or use a tool like job crafting in relation to wellbeing to help them through this.

An example of this is if a person suffers from a chronic condition and can't come to work everyday. Them doing 10-15 minutes of yoga or going on an afternoon walk could help them through this. Also having a wellbeing plan with a occupational therapist to support how they work so their manager and team can help them work around their condition.

Some of the main ways to tackle this is to look at how people are currently working and looking for signs of overwork or even if someone is quiet quitting. Quiet quitting is when someone is working the bear minimum in a job. This is something I spoke about in the SEO Mindset podcast when I spoke to Tazmin Suleman . If you want to listen to this full conversation please listen here - https://www.theseomindset.co.uk/episode/quiet-loud-quitting-with-soma-ghosh

Having managers or teams spot why someone may have their camera off on teams. Or not be present in meetings or important work developments. Can help organisations to prioritise and understand what could be going . As well as help with employee wellbeing. So they can talk to someone like a counsellor etc. Some organisations are offering more support with mental health and even offering ways to help their employees with stress management too.

Why this will take time to resolve?

Covid changed everything and put a microscope under everyone's mental wellbeing. Not all the changes were bad. Because many organisations are tackling it to help retain staff and offer them better ways of working. Especially if the key things they want are flexibility and autonomy.

This will also take time because more people need to understand that everyone has different needs. Yet ignoring it won't help that individual or organisations to thrive.

I do think overall their will be more development in this area. The fact that many bigger organisations are finally looking into this is only a positive thing.

I would also advise you taking time to prioritise your own wellbeing. Regardless of if you have a condition or not. You can ask your organisation how they can support you with wellbeing. Take steps to understand your company's policy/polices around this as this will keep you informed and not out in the cold. Especially if you are concerned that you are prone to burnout etc.

Workplace cultural Trends worth reflecting on

When I talked workplace cultural trends in my previous newsletter I spoke about the following:

1. Resenteeism
2. Choronoworking
3. Upskilling

Resenteesism is a term when someone is unhappy at work and wants to leave their job but can't due to financial and employee development concerns. I do think is very telling about this term is a post I did back in January engaged many people's interest you can see the full post here - https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/soma-ghosh-26086638_are-you-suffering-from-resenteeism-the-new-activity-7155472990434914304-iZAK?utm

This post has had over 14,000 views. Which indicates many people are unhappy at work and are staying in jobs they don't like yet are concerned about their future. This could be due to finances or worrying about their future career progression.

Chronoworking is a term that was coined by Ellen Scott of Stylist Magazine. Who wrote a brilliant piece on this. See link here for more insights - https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/careers/chronoworking-body-clock-trend/857223

This is essentially around how working in line with our natural circadian rhythms could affect how productive we are and when we work best. This could also really help anyone who is working in a job that requires them to have quiet working time or have periods of work times that suits their lifestyle as parent or carer.

If you work according to this your hours of working are dependent on what time you naturally wake up and go to sleep. For example if someone naturally wakes up early working from 8am-4pm in a role could be ideal for them. Versus someone who struggles to wake up by 7am who may work from 12pm-8pm. Studies indicate that depending on when you wake up this can effect your potential for the quality and productivity of work you can produce.

Upskilling is where you learn news skills in a job. This can be an opportunity to learn and grow within that role. It's also seen as somewhat of a necessity and can be linked to skills based roles because essentially your skills are what are making you stand out in the job space right now. The importance of experience and qualifications can help but the wiliness to do a course or learn new skills in a job in a changing industry can help your overall career potential.

What can you think about going forward?

These three cultural trends show how individuals want workplace culture to evolve but it's also showing how people have concerns about their future. Again wellbeing and your skills are something that workplaces are looking at. Yet it's important to note the individual approach to work could help us develop into a work style that works for us.

I hope this newsletter has helped you think about how work is ever changing and will continue to evolve.

Find out more about what I am sharing in my "Career Happiness Mentor Newsletter" and subscribe to my special series of The Career Happiness newsletters here for more musings about careers here - https://thecareerhappinessmentor.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3cbb0dae04c3c14700da9770e&id=e2f25afd53

In the next fortnightly newsletter I will be talking about The Career Happiness Mentors most popular episodes.

What did you think about today's newsletter? Let me know in the comments below ??. Is there something else you want to share or add about these workplace topics I shared today. If so do let me know?