9 future of work trends post-COVID-19

As the pandemic resets major work trends, HR leaders need to rethink workforce and employee planning, management, performance and experience strategies.

Nine HR trends emerge as the lasting result of workforce and workplace changes resulting from coronavirus pandemic disruption, according to a Gartner survey of 800-plus HR leaders.

The imperative for those leaders now is to evaluate the impact each HR trend will have on their organization’s operations and strategic goals, identify which require immediate action and assess to what degree these HR trends change pre-COVID-19 strategic goals and plans.

 “It’s critical for business leaders to understand that large-scale shifts are changing how people work and how business gets done,” says Brian Kropp, Distinguished Vice President, Gartner. "Leaders who respond effectively to these HR trends can ensure their organizations stand out from competitors.” 

Of the nine HR trends, some represent an acceleration of existing shifts; others are new impacts not previously discussed. And in some cases, COVID-19 has forced the pendulum of a long-observed pattern to one extreme. 

No. 1: Increase in remote working  

No. 2: Expanded data collection 

No. 3: Contingent worker expansion

No. 4: Expanded employer role as social safety net

No. 5: Separation of critical skills and roles

No. 6: (De-)Humanization of employees

No. 7: Emergence of new top-tier employers

No. 8: Transition from designing for efficiency to designing for resilience

No. 9: Increase in organization complexity