A lot has changed over the past 2 years: The economy, remote work, family issues, layoffs, accelerated hiring, and attitudes toward employers. Some of these issues will stabilize. Other issues will be changed forever. Here are a few:
- Interviews – Prepare for a new type of interaction. Video conference calls are replacing face-to-face interviews. This makes the interviewing process more difficult. No longer can you interface in a more informative way, like over coffee or during a tour. The culture of the organization is also hidden. The risk factor increases with less personal interaction.
- Transitional period – We are currently in a transition period between the pre and post pandemic periods. Your next job may be a transition position until the market settles down. Transition jobs are being sought by those currently in the job search mode.
- Schedules – Companies and the government keep changing the rules while employees are expected to accommodate them: Scheduling, demand for Covid-19 shots, remote versus office versus hybrid work, pay disparities, and so on. Every time the “rules” change, you are expected to adjust to fit the new policies.
- Employer changes – Employers are trying to adapt to a changing world. They are caught between competitive dynamics, employee concerns, pay differentials, and governmental policies. Employers no longer see job-hopping as a negative. Those in the digital world are moving up the career ladder by moving from one opportunity to another. Some companies understand these changes and can act, while others are woefully behind.
- Employee changes – Individuals are focused on day-to-day issues of their job and personal life. They’ll deal with their careers later, when things settle down and policies and practices become more stable. Currently employees want remote work over office work. A hybrid schedule may accommodate some employees but not all. Finding an all-remote job is still a priority.
- Short-term versus long-term – Employees are looking for an interim short-term position versus waiting out the current transitional period. Employers are looking for ways to find and keep needed talent for an extended period of time. Each of these objectives are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The goal is to design a strategy where both employee and employer objectives are aligned, so both wins.
- New attitude drivers – Two attitudes are influencing the next year or more. First, employees are avoiding companies that aren’t listening to them. They are going to organizations that want to know their needs, ask for potential solutions, and try to accommodate them. Second, employees want their employers to be loyal to them as much as they expect employees to be loyal to their organizations.
The smart employee will develop a two-year strategy than transitions from a chaotic interim period to one of stability and growth. Take advantage of interim higher paid jobs that are available now. Assess the potential between staying on, or launching a longer-term career plan. With the job market in a state of flux, now is the time to find a niche from which to advance.
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