Flexibility is passe, companies are ready to re-design jobs to retain talent

• Companies are now re-designing jobs to retain and employ the right kind of talent with the right offer.
• Redesigned jobs can become a great way to bring back working mothers and other employees who are engaged in caregiving to their aged parents and other relatives.
• Six out of ten companies are working to create a human-centric, holistic and purpose-driven employee experience over the next three years, says a WTW report.

Slowly but certainly, the Great Resignation has tipped the balance in favour of the employees — who are determined to achieve the elusive work-life balance. Organizations too have been absorbing this reality and are not stopping at offering remote work and flexibility — they are redesigning jobs.

“Companies need to take tangible actions to win the talent war. These include resetting their total rewards philosophy and strategy for the new hybrid work environment, setting an overarching career enablement strategy, identifying new sources of talent based on more flexible approaches to work and resdesigning jobs,” Rajul Mathur, consulting leader India at WTW, a consulting firm.

What is a re-designed job?

A re-designed job is where job responsibilities are altered to suit the skill-sets of an employee. They first came into vogue as an after-effect of rapid automation. Now of course, it’s being used to retain and employ the right kind of talent with the right offer.

Ravish Manivannan from Bangalore has been freelancing for years now and was offered a job at an agency as a graphic designer.

“Since I am not used to fixed job timings and it would impact my current lifestyle I was jittery. But the team leader assured me that I would have to report in only for three hours a day and as long as I finish my tasks, won’t be called in for meetings either,” he said.

While the agency is satisfied with his work ethic, he too is happy to draw a regular monthly salary without being burdened with office timings.

Redesigned jobs can become a great way to bring back working mothers and other employees who are engaged in caregiving to their aged parents and other relatives.

Sweeping workforce changes

Inducting such employees into the workforce is a part of the sweeping workforce changes that the system is undergoing.

Six out of ten companies are working to create a human-centric, holistic and purpose-driven employee experience over the next three years, says a WTW report.

Companies are considering changing various other aspects as well like — amount and type of work done using automation, AI and digitalisation, use of skills-based placement of work, types of job offers in the next three years.

“Businesses need to prioritize employee retention and re-examine business practices that lead to turnover to tackle ongoing pressure points they face in retaining and attracting talent,” said Mathur.

The WTW report says that 61% of Indian organizations are working to create a ‘holistic employee experience’. And, 58% are thinking of strengthening their work and rewards framework over the next three years.

Higher salary remains as the top factor to attract employees. But a little less than half, 44% of the organizations are reviewing the mix of pay and benefits to reflect the change in use of remote/hybrid work or other flexible work arrangements to keep their employees from going down the Great Resignation path.

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