How and where work gets done has been permanently redefined since COVID-19 hit, and it is now up to businesses to adapt to emerging talent demands to remain competitive moving forward, new research has found.

ADP Research Institute (ADPRI) found that 64 percent of the global workforce was negatively impacted by coronavirus. However, 66% of UK workers feel optimistic about the next five years at work, and a third think COVID-19 will have a positive effect on flexibility (34%) and work-life balance (28%).

Around the world, and as shown through the establishment of the Great Resignation, employees are striving to find happiness more than ever before. People are now becoming a lot less tolerant of workplace stresses and are increasingly wanting their place of work to reflect their own preferences and priorities. They’re now putting more weight on the business to meet their needs compared to pre-pandemic, where employees would make every effort to reach their employer’s requirements.

• Research from ADP shows that in the UK, just over 50% of both essential and non-essential workers (54% versus 52% respectively) feel that they are paid fairly for their roles and responsibilities.  Additionally, 53% of non-essential workers believe that they are paid fairly for the skill set that they possess, which only marginally differs from 52% of essential workers. This alludes to the notion that job sector and salary based on workers roles and capabilities may not be a prevailing factor in employee satisfaction.

• Additionally, ADPRI has found that globally, more than half of working mothers (53%), and 46% of working fathers say that having children is holding them back from progressing in their careers.

• When compared with UK specific data, ADPRI discovered that only 40% of mothers that are employed in Britain believe that their children are holding back their ability to progress in the workplace, in contrast to 54% of working UK fathers. This suggests that British working mothers have a more pragmatic approach to their work-life balance, which could be a result of the new ways of working, including working from home and more flexibility in their working hours. In order get the best out of their staff, companies will need to take all reasonable proactive steps to recognise the issue and find solutions, without penalising their workers for working remotely or with more flexible hours around their childcare.

To overcome these challenges and rebuild worker confidence in 2022, ADP’s research and deep insight into HR trends points to the need for businesses to prioritise their employee’s wellbeing and provide an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives.

Melanie Robinson, Senior HR Director UK, Ireland & Nordics commented: “Businesses that empower their employees to work in a way that suits them will see higher levels of engagement and productivity in the long run. As employers look for ways to drive inclusion amidst new work models, the connection will become a measurement of workforce culture.

Employers will need to heighten their focus on their people and reflect on the larger purpose that unites their workforce. HR teams already hold some of the most valuable business data, and as the world of work becomes more people and culture centred than ever before, this data will only become more instrumental in driving strategy and change.”