Recover and Thrive - Preparing for The Next Deal 26 February 2021

Defining the Next Deal

Last summer, Deloitte's human capital consulting team surveyed more than 10,000 workers from a range of businesses and industries across seven European countries' our Voice of the Workforce' survey. Findings highlighted that remote working is here to stay: 72% of all employees surveyed now anticipate working away from the office more often. Also, the ability to work from home and, to an extent, setting their own working pattern, has given people a sense of autonomy about how they work; something they'll be reluctant to give up anytime soon.

So, what will the new perspectives required for the 'Next Deal' look like and what are the expectations and insights for different sectors of the workforce?

Leadership

Question: How is connected leadership maintained?

• As workers have developed a stronger sense of autonomy while working remotely, leaders must respond to this and foster an environment of trust at work
• Employees value communication and transparency - leaders need to be visible and accessible whether working side-by-side with employees in the office, or remotely

Workforce

Question: How are workforce models shifting?

• Economic uncertainty has led to workforce models shifting, talent pools are now dispersed and diverse, yet easy to access, even talent within organisations is required to be highly mobile
• Choices between third parties, technology or permanent staff is key - and then developing a framework for how those different groups interact to allow sufficient autonomy but enough guidance

Employees

Question: What are employees looking for in their employer?

• Investment in wellbeing should not be viewed simply as a response to the pandemic, but as a critical long-term competitive advantage
• COVID-19 has emphasised the important role businesses have to play in supporting their workforce, bringing ethical issues around employment to the fore and further raising the standards which companies are expected to attain
• Investment in innovative and transparent communication, engaging workers working both in-office and remotely is more important than ever

Workplace

Question: What work needs to get done and where's the best place to do it?

• We know that remote working will remain, but the office will still play a valuable role. Team leaders must stay mindful of the benefits coming together in one space brings - for instance a chance to collaborate, support training and celebrate together
• Moving on from presenteeism – businesses should be open minded about how, where and when their people choose to work depending on their role, responsibility and the business needs
  
  

There’s no single solution

The pandemic is being experienced by everyone in different ways, so any future design of work cannot simply be addressed by one single solution. Businesses need to take the time to listen to and understand their employees’ needs. The best way to do this will be using communication tools that are relevant and likely to engage with their people. Gone are the days when a straightforward email will do - employee engagement must be treated similarly to customer engagement and the same efforts must be placed on creating engaging and informative content.
 

So how can businesses ready themselves?

As organisations look ahead and consider the most efficient ways of embracing the future of work, reskilling or upskilling the current workforce must become a vital priority. In our latest Human Capital Trends survey (2020), 74% of organisations said reskilling the workforce was important or very important, but only 10% said they were very ready to address this trend.

Questions to pose include: "what skills does our organisation need to win in the market?" "What skills does our organisation have today and where are my gaps? How will we fill the gaps?" "How will we build and strengthen the skills we need?" "How will are organisation configure and scale skillsets?"

What is striking is how important it will be to not focus solely on digital and operational skills in the future. It’s clear that workers who possess strong skillsets in individual resilience and adaptability, alongside creativity, innovation and agility, will be those that excel and truly shape the next generation of business.

To discuss further, please contact our authors.