The world of work is changing and small business employers must stay informed on current trends to gain a competitive edge in 2022. Major issues including employee burnout and turnover can be reduced by restructuring work in ways that encourage employee well-being. The future of work prioritizes people as much as profits.

1. Upskill, Reskill, Train Manpower

In a recent address, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing highlighted that “the pace of acquiring skills and knowledge must intensify”. Mr. Chan reiterated that continuous learning will ensure our workforce remains current and relevant for the rest of our lives.

As such, many employers are practicing skill-based hiring and providing on-job training for their employees. Singaporeans will need to work with smart machines and develop their interpersonal and digital skills simultaneously. From managers to employees, constant upskilling is the new normal. Everyone can tap into resources offered by training providers such as SkillsFuture and Coursera to grow their knowledge and skillsets.

2. Align Personal and Professional Values
Are high income-earners satisfied at work? Now, jobseekers are scrutinizing a company’s culture before jumping onboard. In a 2019 Glassdoor survey, 50% of respondents stated that a company’s culture was “more important than salary” in regard to job satisfaction.

A company culture that communicates and embodies healthy values is a strategic necessity. Hiring individuals who support these values ensure corporate success as they work towards common goals. Increased team cohesion, stability, productivity, and commitment are the result. Overall success is achieved by everyone for everybody’s benefit.

3. Prioritise Your People

The Independent cited that people work an average of 469 hours overtime every year, leading to greater stress and reduced rest.

Promoting employee wellbeing has to go beyond lip service. It is intentionally checking in with workers and responding with appropriate solutions such as hybrid work options and flexible work hours. Since the pandemic, companies are increasingly conscious of their employees’ mental health, hence the expansion of work perks such as increased parental leave. 

It is mutually beneficial when employee welfare is prioritized. Job satisfaction is heightened among workers which in turn boosts productivity. Meanwhile, employers gain better outputs with reduced absenteeism and resignations. This could lower the Great Resignation.

4. Use the Three ‘C’s of Collaboration

Humans thrive in stable and secure environments. When you introduce new information and processes, follow this rule of thumb.

• Communicate: Digital messaging such as WhatsApp and email make connecting easier. It also promotes informal team-wide communication. Chat history (to refer to past conversations), threads (to keep track of discussions), and tagging individuals using “@” (to directly address the intended recipient) are just a few of the advantages.
• Coordinate: When working remotely, online collaboration tools allow for greater transparency and accessibility of important documents. Using software like Jira or Trello will allow you to create tasks and delegate work in real-time. This allows multiple users to access and discuss important documents around the clock.
• Conference: While working remotely has become the "new normal", in-person engagement is essential for keeping your team on track. It is all about sharing knowledge between coworkers and the firm. This creates an outlet for constructive discussions and feedback where individuals are heard and understood.

5. Build Digital Resilience

Responding to global competition and pressure from financial markets, companies are asking employees to do more with less. With new technology comes a need for a mass upskill on handling advanced systems effectively. Therefore, creating a digital resilience culture should be at the forefront of every organization.

Research conducted by Ernst and Young states that “organizations enabling AI at the enterprise level are increasing operational efficiency, making faster, more informed decisions and innovating new products and services.” It presents cost-saving opportunities with a higher productivity rate.

A good digital culture works effectively by streamlining processes and reducing manual work where possible. There are a few ways to do so. Firstly, innovate. If something is more troublesome than helpful, find a digital way of working around it. Secondly, track feedback. When problems are raised such as lagging systems, address the issues cropping up immediately. This will reduce workplace anxiety and raise the standard of operations.