The New Work Ecosystem Left By The Pandemic

The vital challenge posed by the pandemic will require new professions or adaptations, more or less radical, of classical professions in the immediate future. In other words, it is foreseeable that after the crisis a new labor ecosystem will emerge.

Although no one yet knows with certainty when the end of the health crisis will be and how the economy will be reconfigured, there are indications that in order to return to “normality” -or, rather, establish a new normal-, there are still several months to go. There is already talk of a second wave of infections in the northern hemisphere for next winter and in the southern hemisphere the situation is still uncertain.

It is clear that there will be a recession and that in the short and medium term there will be changes in consumption patterns. What is currently imposed is to acquire what is necessary and, therefore, to provide what is necessary, first of all. The new labor ecosystem tends to organize around this premise.

The new labor ecosystem

It is likely that the first major change in the labor ecosystem has to do with a decisive introduction of teleworking  in all sectors that support this modality. Not only because this is a measure that protects against eventual reactivations of the pandemic, but because the forced trial that led to the quarantine showed that it can be an effective mechanism.

Likewise, it is foreseeable that the entire economy is organized around satisfying the basic needs of the people, in terms of products and services. However, these  basic needs  have changed, both because of the way the world unfolds today, and because of the pandemic itself.

Many companies will have to change the way they operate. In the same way, more than ever products and services must be provided in a different way, guaranteeing, above all,  health security.

Likewise, a good part of the companies will have to resume their activities based on a series of structural problems that have not yet been defined, at least with precision.

Safety and well-being: two crucial assets

All economic activities will have to adjust in one way or another to the general requirement of safety and well-being. Safety has to do with the fact that no product or service should pose a risk to those who purchase it or benefit from it. Thus, sanitary measures will have to be extreme.

On the other hand, the need for security is also emotional. The pandemic has been a shock for some and a borderline traumatic experience for others.

It will have emotional effects in the short, medium and long term, which will be reflected in, for example, more demand for psychological attention, or for cultural goods that help balance the mind. All forms of assurance will probably be in high demand as well.

The world will have to invent new ways of enjoying or spending time, which this time are not related to physically going shopping or acquiring goods that guarantee temporary enjoyment.

It will also be a long time before travel becomes a safe and unrestricted option for fun again. They are not the only changes that will be seen, but these parameters alone configure a new work ecosystem.

The change in approach to professions

More than new professions as such, what the new labor ecosystem implies is a new approach to the exercise of various activities.

All the technologies that allow meetings or facilitate remote work will occupy a leading place. So it is foreseeable that everyone will have to become fully familiar with these resources, in order to operate in the future.

In the same way, it is important to develop the ability to adapt quickly to changes. It is likely that the pandemic will imply quarantines and their easing, successively.

The transition between one state and another must be done quickly and this requires this new competence in the workers. Certainly, there will also be trades and professions associated with that specific need.

Flexibility is another of those skills that is well worth developing in times like these. Hours and working conditions could change continuously, depending on external regulations or health convenience. Being rigid isn’t going to do any good.

Those who are probably going to have the greatest projection in the short term are those who work on their creativity and know how to provide solutions that facilitate the transition to the new labor and social ecosystem.

Continuity managers, sustainability managers, agile change agents, prevention experts, etc., are activities or trades that will gain prominence.