Post COVID19: What's your next move?

“What was the biggest driver of change in the workplace in 2020. Was it the CEO? Was it the CIO? or Was it COVID19? Mildly amusing but it certainly contains an element of truth. Any procrastinating at C level has been overthrown by necessity.

The past few weeks has brought change and an element of uncertainty to most of us …For some it’s been an even unluckier period. Perhaps your employer has had their hand forced with the only option of letting people go, reducing the workforce unilaterally, standing down staff and reversing their manpower numbers significantly. The collateral damage is a broad-brush stroke through the workplace covering pretty much every industry and every occupation bar those who are deemed crucial to the economy…. Health Services, Food Supply Chain and Pharma as examples.

No positions are untouchable when it comes to a Black Swan event like we are witnessing.

Post COVID 19 will be seen as a time to refresh and rejuvenate workforces. It is a reset opportunity that organisations will at least consider. Very few if any will continue where they left off. This return to work represents a chance to start a new period of growth and a chance to model a new work force for the organisation …a sleeker, more cost-effective solution.

We are entering a new way for the economy to function and not everyone is going to be reengaged for it. There will be workforce changes and casualties

As a starter it has been already recognised that the company’s new place of work will be from home for many. Good news as a new audience experiences the virtues of getting out of bed to make their way straight to the desktop to log in for the 8am Zoom meeting.  Stopping only at the bathroom to get rid of a bed head look for the camera, wearing a work shirt and a pyjama pants. However, for others, the office elders, a different fate may await you as you fall foul of being on the wrong side of 45 and even more likely for those who are 50 plus.

Being young is the new desirable and so heralds the entrance of Millennials and Generation Z. Enthusiasm and effort are associated with the youth rather than the experienced. The novice is less susceptible to job fatigue and cynical characteristics. Sometimes it just makes sense to refresh the team with those you can mould. The team that thrived during a big growth phase is not necessarily the same one that will bring you through a deep downturn. Requirements have changed and a new workforce model has appeared which does not look similar to our previous work environment. It consists of companies with a core of permanent staff surrounded by a ring of consultants, contractor’s flexi-workers and virtual on-liners. Some people will certainly be made redundant while many more will return under a different guise but not as permanent staff.

Right now, people are reeling from the shock of being let go. To some it’s a convenient time to reflect on where to for the next career adventure. It might even be a welcome change or and overdue prompt to consider a new path. Whether it’s opportune or not really depends on what stage of your career you are at. Truth is that the closer you edge towards the half century mark the less attractive you appear as a new hire. There are always exceptions, but by and large older employees will find it hardest to get reemployed where they used to be when the music stopped. Now there is a scramble for less seats than there existed before.

For those who don’t operate in a niche area with a niche knowledge or function to save them, it could become a worry as it is presumed that

They are expensive

They are less open to change 

They may come with cynicism and baggage

They lack the zest and enthusiasm of youth

They have already accumulated wealth enough to buy their own home, so they lack the same hunger to earn and get on

Where to next for you if you find yourself on the outside the preferred employment spectrum? Who and what will you be competing against?

The era of the Millennial and Generation Xer is well under way. By 2025 75% of the workplace will be populated by Millennials. A generation perceived as performance measured eager beavers, looking for career progression, training and advancement. Looking to make a difference in their role at work, to participate and have their opinions heard, loving the workplace diversity and valuing time off over a bigger salary to enjoy the fruits of their labour. They may not even stay in a job more than 18 months.

You may be challenged to reinvent yourself in such a way to show you still have it …. You embrace new ways of working; you have the ideas and welcome the Millennial with open arms even if they prefer smashed arvo on sour dough to Steak Diane. They may spend 3 months of the year back-packing in Malaysia, only to so be seen again in the Autumn under a new contract. But it may not be enough; as they say time waits for no man so don’t be surprised if you get offered a contract rather than a permanent role. Yes, you still add value and knowhow. Your experience is useful to pass on to the new generation. You become a bit like the stock of aging pro footballer who gets paid only for the appearances he makes. Remember it’s not you, it’s a change in the workforce model that has come about all of a sudden that has foisted you into this bracket, before you expected it to happen.

Let’s look at this from another perspective.

Maybe this represents an opportunity for you to start that consultancy or some other business that you have always thought about but never felt the urgency to pursue. You may have been procrastinating about taking this leap for a long time but actually it just didn’t seem like it was the right time. The truth is it may not have seemed urgent enough back then but it sure does now. Making the decision is now a much easier option as the traditional workforce place become a less achievable outcome for you. Maybe it’s time to become the king of your own workplace destiny?

Like your C level bosses, your procrastination has been overthrown by necessity.

I would like to hear your thoughts on this predicament people have found themselves in as a result of COVID19. There is no right or wrong answer. Please leave your thoughts below