Fast forward to the 21st century when advances in technology made it possible for millions of employees to continue working during the worst public health crisis in more than a century. Additionally, it erased some of the stigma surrounding remote working and showed employers it didn’t matter where people worked, just that the job got done. The ability to seek out new opportunities regardless of a potential employer’s location opened a whole new world for employees — and led to the much-talked-about Great Resignation.
As employers create their post-pandemic “new normal,” many workers have made it clear they have no interest in returning to a traditional office setting. According to the 2022 Alight International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study, 75% of U.S.-based employees say working remotely has more benefits than drawbacks for them and 90% would be interested in continuing to work remotely if given the opportunity.
With employees more comfortable switching jobs and work increasingly resembling a long-distance relationship, employers are finding they need to fundamentally change how they approach the workforce. Competitive pay and benefits will continue to play a major role in attracting and retaining key talent, but a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer effective. The time has come for HR to embrace the personalization of benefits, driven by technology that connects employees to relevant content in the moments that matter, making it easy for them to focus on what’s important.