Even when my mum was younger the world of work was a completely different place than it is now, going further back to when my grandparents were younger and it’s almost unrecognisable. With how we perceive employment and how employers perceive us changing, here are 6 ways that the workplace is changing;
Flexibility
Depending on where you work, and who you work for a lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon with the remote-work trend. Which basically allows employees work from home. A lot of jobs nowadays can be done from anywhere, as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection. This means that employees can technically work from anywhere. This allows them more options to travel, relocate or simply sit on the sofa with their feet up whilst they work.
More People Are Working for Themselves
Being an entrepreneur is all the rage these days. That’s because starting up a business is easier than ever before (although, this doesn’t ensure a business’s success). The rise in entrepreneurship is also due to the recession as many people who lost their jobs had no other choice but to become self-employed. With more people becoming self-employed in 2010 than any other year for the past 15 years.
Not Sticking to One Job for a Lifetime
Up until this generation, it wasn’t uncommon for someone to work at the same company their whole lives – or at least the majority of their working life. Millennials aren’t likely to stick with more than one employer, for their entire career. With many experiencing jobs at several different companies before they hit 30. This has led to companies trying harder to retain employees for as long as possible – normally by offering company perks and more flexibility, which wasn’t really on the table 10 years ago and certainly not to regular employees.
Work-life Balance is a Priority
This generation of workers doesn’t want their entire lives to be focused on their jobs. Employees also want social and personal lives – which is actually a pretty reasonable request. They also want their job to be fulfilling, rather than just getting a paycheck at the end of the month employees now want purpose and drive.
Personal Branding is Trending
It’s easier than ever to make a name for yourself, especially on social media. Personal branding is affecting the job-search process through multiple industries. This new way of branding yourself – like you would brand a company is causing some employers to actually have to go out and look for employees rather than the other way round. This self-branding can be effective, especially if you’re frequently switching company.
Long-Term Unemployment May Be Here to Stay
Bad news, joblessness has become a fixture in the economy these days, and some experts reckon that this could become permanent. This can be linked back to the recession. As well as people starting up their own business and not hiring any employees to save money.
