The Great Resignation SA: New ways of working in a post-pandemic world
SA companies must adjust to the new ways of working in a post-pandemic world, with flexibility and a sense of purpose key to attracting workers, says a top employment expert.
SA News
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South Australians are reassessing their relationship with work in a post-Covid world – and employers need to recognise this if they want to hang on to their most valued staff members, according to a leading employment expert.
Dr Jana Matthews, ANZ chair in business growth and director of the Centre for Business Growth at the University of South Australia’s Business School, said flexibility, recognition and instilling a sense of purpose needed to be at the core of any business’s culture if it planned to attract and hold on to the best young people.
“Covid was a giant handbrake on life, and people were forced to step back and take some time to look at their life,” she said.
“They’ve had a chance to step back, recognise that life is short and think about what they really want to do and, increasingly among younger people, they’re asking, ‘do I have purpose in my job and is that a purpose I really support?’.
“And if your employer doesn’t support the things that I think are important then do I want to give them this big part of my life space?”
Dr Matthews said in many cases, money was no longer the main motivating factor in career choice in a post-Covid landscape.
“You have to be working with someone who’s going to help you grow as a professional and as a person,” she said.
“And the most important thing as an employer is to value what someone brings, and let them know that you value them.”
Adelaide-based engineering and technology company Nova Systems, which employs 1000 people globally, is one employer recognising the shift in the work environment brought about by the pandemic.
The company has brought in a core work day between 10am and 3pm, with employees able to remain flexible in the mornings and afternoons as long as they fulfil their hours.
It also allows a mix of working from home and in the office, half a day a week where no meetings can be scheduled and a flexible dress code.
“Nova Systems is introducing a new ‘ways of working’ plan which recognises the value of more flexibility and gives staff new options to support their lives and wellbeing,” chief executive Jim McDowell said.
“There are benefits for both the individual and the business, including retaining and attracting the best people and supporting a high-performance culture.”
For Nova Systems communications manager Stephen Batten, the working arrangement is a godsend, allowing him to share the care of his two young children with his wife, Amy, a nurse.
“The core hours are 10am to 3pm, and outside of that if you need to take time to pick up a child from school or whatever the case may be, then the company is okay with that,” Mr Batten said.
“Here that idea that your people are your most important asset really rings true, and you can see that from the CEO down. They trust their employees to do the job from home, and for me that allows me to get a lot more done.”