More and more companies are listening to their employees. The increase in job titles focused on flex work, culture, wellness and continuous improvement is one indication that companies are paying more attention to their workers and responding to the new ways they want to work.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2022 Report, the COVID-19 pandemic made employees reevaluate their priorities, prompting companies to focus on the wellness and personal satisfaction of their workers. Companies are adjusting their policies and creating new roles to make sure that employees feel cared for as human beings, not just as workers.
Creation of Roles Focused on Flex Work
A 2022 Forbes article states that LinkedIn data shows a 60% growth in job titles related to the future of work and a 304% increase in roles that reference “hybrid work” since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Companies are making flexible work arrangements permanent. This prompted the creation of new roles specific to flex work, which include titles such as “director of hybrid working” and “flexible workspace operations manager.”
This unique setup of having a workforce working remotely, in a hybrid arrangement or a mixture of both has its own set of challenges. It’s important for companies to have a leader or dedicated team to ensure clear communication, create/implement standardized processes and provide the necessary support to their employees.
Growth in Roles Focused on Culture
Based on LinkedIn data released this 2022, there’s been a 13% increase in existing job titles that reference culture or wellness compared to 2019.
Some examples include:
-Chief Culture Officer
-Head of Culture
-Senior Director of Culture
-VP of Culture and Engagement
Companies around the world are saving a seat for a C-Suite leader in culture. Even before the pandemic began, “culture officer” has made its way into business vocabulary. Examples of companies that started investing in building a strong company culture years before 2020 are Google and Zappos.
More companies are recognizing the importance of having a strong company culture to win and retain top talent in today’s tight labor market. A survey from Glassdoor reveals that 77% of respondents consider a company’s culture before applying for a job.
Having a leader or a team dedicated to culture is necessary in order to build and maintain strong company culture, making sure that all departments align with the company’s vision, mission and values. Your culture officer also manages how your employees feel and think about you, their coworkers and the company as a whole.
The Emergence of Roles Focused on Wellness
Based on the McKinsey 2021 report, employees want to see companies emphasize flexibility, wellness and competitive pay post-pandemic. In addition, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), burnout and stress are at an all-time high with longer hours and increased demands at home since the pandemic started.
In response, companies have started investing in wellness programs, and more large companies are also creating leadership positions that focus on wellness. For instance, Delta Airlines created a new role called Chief Health Officer in 2021 to focus on protecting the health and wellness of both their employees and passengers. The airline company also has a general manager for global health and wellness.
Rise of Continuous Improvement Jobs
Continuous improvement has become an indispensable tool in performance management in almost all industries. This is why there is a growing demand for work in this field. According to CNN Money, the demand for continuous improvement managers is expected to increase by 12% through 2025.
With the market disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, business leaders have more knowledge about being more agile, efficient and productive to stay ahead in the competition.
This calls for a continuous improvement manager who will monitor an organization’s processes, facilitate plans and set goals to optimize these processes to make them more efficient, followed by training employees to hit these goals. Continuous improvement managers will also review how well these practices are embedded in the company culture.
Similar to jobs that focus on flex work, culture and wellness, continuous improvement jobs can help people live better lives every day.
Final Words
We are now living in a human-centric era. In order to succeed, more businesses now are recognizing the need to create leadership roles or teams dedicated to supporting employees’ personal needs. Companies that put their people first and continue to improve will be ahead of the competition. Invest in the long-game to cultivate a winning culture within your company. It’s not people or profits: It’s people AND profits.
In love and respect,
Hilary Corna
