Navigating Career Transitions in the Post-Pandemic Era

Navigating Career Transitions in the Post-Pandemic Era

Many businesses are affected by the post-pandemic situation, such as tourism, travel, event management, construction, production, etc. Some industries, such as healthcare, health research, insurance, etc., are earning higher incomes than before. Online education has become a common concept ever since the pandemic situation. This situation disrupted the labor market globally due to social distancing. Millions of people across the globe lost their jobs, and many people strived to work from home. During this period, people worked in places such as grocery stores, warehouses, hospitals, garages, etc. to earn their daily bread, adhering to the protocols. Hence, many employees were compelled to switch jobs as the existing businesses suffered losses.

Many employees are planning to change jobs or even accept a new job role to resolve financial issues. They are looking for jobs to resolve issues such as higher debts or exhausted emergency savings. They are expecting companies to provide benefits such as health and disability insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, family medical leave, etc. So, they expect companies to offer better benefits to their employees.

How has the pandemic situation changed the decision-making processes of businesses and industries?

According to the Prudential report, nearly 26% of workers are planning to switch jobs due to a lack of career progression. The pandemic situation has affected not only businesses and industries but also student life. Students switched to online learning during the pandemic period. This situation has greatly impacted those students who were studying vocational courses. They have acquired new skills by learning online. So, the recruiters are expecting much more from the freshmen. According to the World Forum, recruiters are looking for candidates who possess analytical thinking, innovation, creativity, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking skills by 2025. During this period, the traits essential for the survival and growth of businesses and industries are leadership, emotional quotient, and service orientation.

• Medical arenas

After the pandemic situation, jobs involving physical proximity to people would undergo a transformation, such as those of doctors or nurses. The careers are affected, as they should contact the patients. The administrators who are engaged in computer-based operations work remotely and hence remain unaffected. Pharmacists and lab technicians work with specialized equipment but are not exposed to people. But careers can still retrieve their careers by implementing innovative strategies, as people need to visit them frequently.

• Retail and other offices

The frontline workers who frequently contact customers or clients are affected, such as the workers of banks, retail stores, post offices, etc. So, in this arena, some work needs to shift to online mode. The bankers were instructed to learn the techniques of performing online or digital transactions. Online businesses migrated to e-commerce businesses.

• Back-office work

The workers who are performing tasks such as data entry, typing, accounting, and bookkeeping do not meet customers or clients frequently, and their interaction is also moderated. So, several people, after the post-pandemic situation, are working in this arena. Nearly 1/3 of the people in advanced economies work in this field.

• Travel and leisure

The customer executives should frequently interact with the customers, almost like a crowd of people. Such industries include restaurants, entertainment venues, airports, theatres, etc. Many leisure venues were closed during this period. So, in the long run, the work is shifted to online mode. Some operations are automated, and hence the labor is to be curtailed.

• Outdoor operations

Today, in countries like India and China, nearly 35% to 55% of the workers are contributing in this field, such as farms, construction sites, outdoor spaces, etc., as they do not frequently meet people.

• Working remote

Many people prefer to work remotely, as they are exposed to flexible working arrangements. The Prudential report says that nearly 87% of the people who were working remotely during the pandemic situation prefer to work online at least once a week. Many workers prefer a hybrid workplace. Workers even state that if the company does not allow online work, they are willing to look for companies offering online work.

The points that the companies should consider about the expectations of the workers

Many workers prefer a hybrid work culture. They prefer to visit the office two to three days a week and then work online. Companies should use innovative techniques to provide online work to employees who work remotely. The workers are also looking for work-life balance since the pandemic situation, and hence the companies should also value the needs of the workers and hence modify the work culture. When companies are devising workplace strategies, they should evaluate the needs of the workers to enhance productivity and profit.