The pandemic has highlighted the importance of deskless workers who were on the front lines fighting the pandemic as nurses, in supermarkets, or processing food on an assembly line.
At the same time, the pandemic emphasized the difference between what was traditionally office work (working comfortably from home) and deskless work (showing up every day). Oliver Wyman Forum says that about 1 in twelve deskless workers have already made the switch to a different type of work. Another 37% could leave within the next six months, according to BCG.
This is not necessarily bad for those who remain. They may press for better salaries in a demand-driven market. However, it sends a wake-up call for organizations that are already struggling to retain and attract talent.
There’s good news as well. The vast majority of deskless workers (97%) report that they would stay in their current roles if their conditions improved. Such conditions go beyond a pay rise, meaning that HR needs to offer deskless workers the same opportunities as their deskbound counterparts.
Subsequently, our 9th HR trend for 2023 is that HR will drastically increase investment in its deskless workers. This includes:
=>> implementing mobile-first self-service enterprise software,
=>> career opportunities and promotions,
=>> better compensation,
=>> and improved working conditions like flexibility and work-life balance.
In the end, whether you’re a deskless worker or a desk-bound employee, you just want to have a good time at work. That doesn’t mean that work should be easy – but at the very least, companies should be doing their best to improve working conditions. Creating a great place to work for deskless workers will be HR’s major focus in 2023.
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