Ahead of the upcoming RMIT-Deloitte HR Forum 2022, experts from the two organizations discussed post-pandemic trends in the workplace and what resilient leadership looks like in the new era.
3%.
This is the number of people who would return to the office five days a week, as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey from UK-based global consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates.
This low number may come as a surprise to many, but the pandemic has led to a hybrid work preference globally that is likely to persist. As Director of Deloitte Consulting Southeast Asia, Mr. Yun-Han Lee noted, “Many organizations in Southeast Asia have been trying to get employees back into the office full-time. However, there is a lot of criticism from employees who appreciate the flexibility offered by remote and hybrid working.”
The reasons behind the low motivation to return full-time range from increased productivity perceived by workers when working remotely, to additional duty of care due to a boom in pet adoption in many countries during the pandemic. . Yet no reason can fully explain the high resistance to return to the office.
dr. Jung Woo Han, Interim Senior Program Manager for Human Resource Management at RMIT University, thinks: “This can be a sign of failure when functionalist organizations dominate our society. This has led postmodernists to criticize the office as a place of oppression to achieve organizational goals and undermine human values.”
dr. Han added that while what could be an ideal office design and function is an ongoing discussion and research question for academics and HR professionals, the rise of open and shared offices suggests that the office is still evolving and the future of the workplace can be very different.
One notable change we have already witnessed is how the pandemic has taught us to adopt technologies and improve communication during the lockdown period using applications such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Although we can now meet in person, the technologies we have applied over the past two years remain with us and contribute to better connectivity and team engagement.
“It will come as no surprise if business travel demand does not return to pre-pandemic levels, as the digitization of our work and communications during the pandemic has changed the foundations of work,” said Dr. Han.
The academic at RMIT believes that the post-pandemic period is a time of vigilance and rapid change, and organizations need unique leadership to skillfully navigate the waves of workplace transformation.
Resilient Leadership: Turning Threats into Opportunities
People naturally don’t like change. In 2016, when the American clothing company Zappos tried to implement holacracy (the idea of no manager and no job title), 30% of its employees left the company. many managers reportedly quitting Zappos because holacracy would strip them of their powers and create uncertainty and confusion.
According to associate professor Seng Kiat Kok, deputy dean of learning and teaching at the RMIT School of Business & Management, “change creates discomfort for people because they can lose control of their work and lives, and because change creates uncertainty and potentially increased work pressure” .
As the future of our organization and our work changes rapidly, Associate Professor Seng suggests that now more than ever, people need a leader who can alleviate feelings of fear and insecurity.
To build a resilient leader who can guide people through this uncertain period, experts from RMIT and Deloitte propose three key qualities: reflection, optimism and empathy.
First, resilient leaders must constantly engage in self-reflection. This is an important exercise during their individual learning cycle, where they challenge assumptions to see if they simply repeat and replicate old behaviors and decisions, even in the face of a new phenomenon.
The next is optimism. “This is an important quality of a resilient leader. They can send positive vibes to other people who are afraid of losing control or power,” explains associate professor Seng.
And finally, having empathy and open communication with teams is essential to arrive at work agreements that are optimal for the teams. “Leaders should do double duty to foster a culture of trust and collaboration for the teams they lead as this will pay off in engagement and overall team productivity,” suggested Mr. Yun-han Lee.
The future may be uncertain, but it also offers opportunities for organizations and leaders. By practicing resilient leadership, they can support their organization while helping people stay productive and engaged.
RMIT-Deloitte HR Forum 2022: Building the future of work
Want to know more about the future of the post-pandemic workplace? Join international experts from RMIT University and Deloitte Consulting in our HR Forum on August 17, 2022 at:
- Stay informed of the most current issues in HR
- Learn from experts about the future of our workforce, jobs and workplaces
- Discover high-performance HR systems to best support your business and changing needs
- Expand your HR network and connect directly with industry leaders and experts
