In order to win the talent war, companies are having to adopt new ways of hybrid and flexible working. To ensure the success of these new models, dedicated leadership is required. Roles can include "Hybrid Workplace Lead," "Flexible Workplace Operation Manager," and "Head of Future of Work".

The pandemic has disrupted the way we work, and what matters most to employees and employers has changed - possibly forever.

As a result, companies have had to cultivate more human-centered cultures during the last couple of years to attract and retain talent. One thing is sure: a clear trend towards hybrid working, where employees spend some mixture of time working in and out of the office.

According to a 2022 Global Talents Trends Report, there has been a 304% increase in job titles that relate to hybrid work. Employees want a culture that better aligns with their work-life balance goals, and in return, they show higher levels of well-being and productivity.

Employees want a culture that better aligns with their work-life balance goals, and in return, they show higher levels of well-being and productivity.

If we look at LinkedIn's job listings for 2019 to 2021, we can see a steep rise in keywords like flexibility (83%) and company culture, wellness, or well-being (13%). Many believe that the only way companies will be able to completely switch to a hybrid workplace is to have dedicated leadership.

Increasingly companies are creating roles that can fully address the seismic changes that have taken place in the past years. Roles such as "Hybrid Workplace Lead," "Flexible Workplace Operation Manager," and "Head of Future of Work'' are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in large companies.

A New Hot Job Title and the Future of Work

It's quite common for a new role or job title to follow a management priority.

For example, the 2010s saw the rise of smartphones, IoT, B2B tools, and artificial intelligence. As a result, businesses focused on innovation management to avoid hampering new ideas.

And in response to recent movements demanding greater equity and representation in the workplace for minorities, many companies hired diversity chiefs to ensure the workforce represented minorities appropriately.

Now, new roles are required to evolve the thinking around the hybrid and flexible workplace, its unique requirements, and its biggest asset: the people.

In many ways, the necessity of such positions comes from the employees themselves who are demanding forms of flexible work as a prerequisite for interviews, much less getting hired.

In the severe talent war that is ever-raging, companies need to position themselves ahead of trends to hire the best.

In the severe talent war that is ever-raging, companies need to position themselves ahead of trends to hire the best.

So what are companies looking for when they list openings for "Head of Future of Work?"

The responsibilities of this new role include (but are not limited to):

• Implementing new employment models and handling transitions between work styles, such as remote, in-office, or hybrid arrangements.
• Providing updates on the pandemic's development and its impact on the workplace.
• Updating HR systems to facilitate posting jobs for remote and hybrid work.
• Partner with external experts, universities and think tanks to predict and get ahead of trends that will influence how we work.
• Helping employees move to new locations while working remotely, for example, by aiding them in setting up taxes.
• Taking positive action towards a working culture based on well-being and job satisfaction.
• Lead and rollout pilots and experiments internally to inform future workplace policies.
• Equipping offices with furnishings that are modern and hybrid friendly.
• Getting creative in how to bring virtual teams together.
• Offering appropriate scheduling choices and nurturing healthy bonds.
  
  

The Future of Work: A Leap Forward

Although it might sometimes look like we're merely reacting to short-term problems, proactively adopting can help make our organizations more robust, efficient, and welcoming to new ideas and talent.

It took us a couple of years to learn that well-being, flexibility, and company culture are central to a productive workplace. Flex work is the way forward, but it doesn't come without challenges.

Organizations that don't adapt will surely struggle to find and retain talent.

Culture can be a selling point for motivated job seekers, but companies need a competitive edge to make sure they are noticed.

A person or team dedicated to employee experience and engagement can help people avoid burnout and feel happier at work.

Many of us feel the pandemic accelerated many trends that are now becoming norms in workplaces. Remote and hybrid work is not going anywhere, so finding invested leadership is essential.

And when you do, Zynq is here to help. Zynq's all-in-one, office management platform features hot-desk booking, room reservations, visitor management, and many other tools to help your business seamlessly step into the hybrid future.