Two years from the start of the pandemic, it was possible to see in practice the ultimate truth: times of crisis lead to times of great innovation. New habits have transformed businesses and countless companies have emerged from demands previously unknown during the greatest historical upheaval of the last 100 years.
The direct and indirect impositions of Covid-19 have changed economic, labor, social, and health relations – in ways that we possibly still lack the magnitude of.
Now, with all the corporate transformations that have been observed, whether those imposed by context or those that have arisen to take advantage of opportunities, which ones really hold up?
With the pandemic showing signs of stability, it is now possible to rationalize the experience and understand what should remain as a reality for companies.
Check out 4 post-pandemic trends to look forward to in the next semester and be prepared for them!
Hybrid work
It is no exaggeration to say that some of the biggest transformations experienced since the beginning of Covid-19 were precisely related to work relationships.
Since the social isolation imposed in March 2020, companies of all sizes and market segments have been faced with the need to implement new flows that enable remote work – including technologies, methodologies, and operations.
Several surveys have already confirmed that remote work was not a temporary trend. A recent survey conducted by Gartner, for example, showed that 48% of employees are likely to work remotely at least some of the time after the pandemic ends.
On the one hand, remote work posed technological and training challenges for companies, making it necessary for leaders and employees to be prepared for this new scenario. On the other hand, important debates have been established, ranging from the quality of life of workers, the recruitment of talent at a distance, and the breaking down of borders between countries for hiring.
Considering the new reality for the Human Resources sector, some other trends can be expected for the next quarter.
Among them: the development and implementation of technologies for remote work monitoring – such as time and attendance control and IP activity tracking -, and new temporary hiring models focused on demand variations, speed of response to opportunities, and talent retention.
Business Decisioning
While countless companies were directly affected by the economic downturn experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of others saw business opportunities in the midst of the challenging context – either by operating segments or by creating new work streams.
In all cases, one reality is unanimous: the importance of taking advantage of the post-pandemic period to recover lost revenues and/or leverage the growth achieved in recent years.
In this context, the path of resource optimization shows itself as the best option and trend for the next semester. Subjective decisions are out of the picture, and the importance of Business Decisioning and organizational data is being strengthened.
The Business Decisioning trend focuses on the decision flow, giving it its due importance – while incorporating the best technology to automate processes and reduce effort and human bias in deliberations.
A fast operating model can unleash agile and empowered teams based on multidisciplinary skills applied to rapid analysis and decisions.
From a technological point of view, a data management, risk assessment, and business intelligence platform consolidates itself as the best alternative for companies seeking to optimize their decisions from a reliable data source.
These new tools combine greater access to data and better platforms to visualize, summarize, and analyze it.
Ongoing Digital Transformation
Be it for managing remote work or implementing data-driven decisions in the corporate environment, it is already possible to see how technology is directly linked to the trends for the post-pandemic.
Thus, and above all, it is important that managers and companies keep in mind that the digital transformation accelerated by Covid-19 cannot end together with the pandemic.
In the Brazilian scenario, a study conducted by FSB Research Institute showed that 70% of business leaders consulted in the survey understand that digital transformation is a relevant theme for 2022.
With an increasingly fierce global market and demanding consumers in all aspects, companies that keep up with the demands with flows that allow for monitoring and rapid response will continue to expand.
For the next semester and for the company’s permanent strategic planning, the tendency for companies to incorporate strategies centered on the client, with real-time analysis and a quick response model to crises and opportunities is strengthened.
Diversity & Social Inclusion
You have probably read some news or recent content focused on the acronym that has taken over several business agendas in recent months: ESG.
The term comes to categorize corporate initiatives focused on the pillars of Environmental, Social and Governance.
Concerned environmental perspectives in particular have led to increased discussion about the role of corporations in global warming and carbon footprint reduction, as well as their positioning in society as brands. At the same time, social and corporate governance issues remain latent.
Forecasts show a strengthening of these agendas and the need for companies to establish action fronts in each of them. The analysis of processes to be transformed and optimized within ESG concepts can have profound effects on business models and their value chains.
And in designing their business strategies, another corporate trend arises in conjunction with Business Decisioning, which enables correct decision making: diversity.
This is because the diverse perspectives within a company allow, with data at hand, an analysis that considers the most different behavioral biases – thus making all consumer profiles be considered in the process.
Finally, heading into the second half of 2022 and with the pandemic showing signs of officially ending, the time is right to examine the company’s ecosystem in order to understand which moves made in the last two years were assertive, which should come to an end along with the Covid-19 outbreak, and which are already aligned with the trends for the coming months.
This way, the company and its leaders are prepared for all the opportunities that the economic and social upturn will bring along with it!
