Let’s face it. The pandemic has been difficult. It has affected personal lives, social lives, and especially our work lives.
This, unfortunately, brings many people back to the dreaded “job” of job searching.
The world of work has shifted during 2020.
As you think about what your dream job might be, it’s a good time to think about what is important to you as you apply and interview for your next role.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you search for your next job in a post-corona world.
Flexible Office Policies
The long commute to the office and the “standard” 9-5 workdays have become a trend of the past.
Something that was created for the labour unions in the 800s and standardized for assembly line
workers, is not relevant for the tech-savvy, white-collar workforce of the 21st century and beyond.
As flexibility becomes the norm, make sure that your employer offers genuinely flexible work. This willallow you to get your best work done, whether that is at home, at the office, in a coworking space, at a cafe, or a blend of these places.
This type of work also comes with increased trust between employer and employee which can lead to more freedom and opportunity to be successful in your role.
Try to find a role that is KPI (Key Performance Indicator) based so that it is clear to both you and your
future employer what the expectations are of the job. Make sure that you are on a realistic path to be able to achieve them.
Emphasize Employee Wellbeing and Support
While there are many benefits of flexible work, it is important to look for an opportunity where you
are confident that your employer will support you.
Throughout the pandemic, as JobKeeper and other similar supports were rolled out, it was crucial that employers cared both about their company and their employees to ensure that employees could take advantage of these benefits.
Moving forward, employers might be taking advantage of JobMaker and other schemes to boost the economy. However, it is important to find out if the role you are after is funded through these supports and if the role is expected to continue, even if the funding ends.
While work culture and employee engagement have been relevant topics for the past number of years, making sure that there is a strong team culture and sense of community is important.
This is even more important if employees are no longer working in the same physical space. Research the company to see what types of wellbeing supports and initiatives they offer their team.
Workflows Built on new Technology with Opportunities to Create and Innovate
As technology expands to provide value in more aspects of our lives, finding an environment that utilizes technology to help manage staff and workflows will be key to a productive work environment.
This could include productivity apps like Slack, Asana, or Trello, staff rostering apps, or full practice management apps. These applications are much faster (and usually more accurate) than relying
on the manual work that was labour intensive and open to error.
These technological tools also reduce the hierarchy in an organisation because teams have greater
visibility over what their team members are doing. This creates stronger communication and greater accountability.
Once the “basics” are taken care of by technology, make sure your workplace provides space to think and innovate. Being creative not only contributes to the business you are working for but also provides several other personal benefits.
You will feel more accomplished and be able to contribute more.
Remember, job applications are about you liking the employer as much as they are about the employer liking you.
Knowing what to look out for and what questions to ask will help make sure that you are a perfect match.
