Four ways professional life is being rewired…

As we continue to navigate a changing world, with a rapidly transforming professional landscape, we can only hope that we can all keep up! From the rise of non-linear career paths to the increasing demands for personalised benefits to promote work-life balance, the expectations and priorities of both workers and employers are shifting fast.

Classic workplace movies  like Office Space and The Devil Wears Prada are becoming old school relics as the new norms become working four-day weeks and prioritising  a healthy work-life balance over a fat paycheck. But are we headed in a positive direction or is the bargain between employers and employees starting to fray? Check out four trends shaping modern work life and see if you think we’re headed in the right direction…

Listen: The dawn of the four-day week

What if Monday became the new Sunday and you only had to work four days a week and you still got paid the same salary? Sounds like a fantasy right? But it’s become reality for over 60 British companies taking part in a global trial over the last year to test  if the four day week could actually work. With the results now in, let's find out what the workers and the bosses thought, and see whether the four-day week is  here to stay.

Read: What does work-life balance mean in a changed work world?

Work-life balance is something we all strive for. As much as we want to get ahead, we also want some friends and family to share our success with when we get there! After a survey found 65% of respondents now prioritise work-life balance over pay and benefits, the BBC takes a look at what employees really want and why achieving a healthy balance is about much, much more than simply clocking off at 5pm. 

Read: ‘Corporate villain’ TikTok: How HR can address the latest social media trend

TikTok truly has taken over our lives.. At first it was just silly dances and celebrities, but it’s now moved into the professional world. People are entering their “Corporate Villain Era” and following workplace influencers who are advocating for employees to stand up for themselves and challenge the status quo at work. Believe it or not this is where trends like ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘rage applying’ were born! So if you want to stay up to date with what your younger colleagues are thinking, it might be time to download the dreaded clock app!

Read: Why Non-Linear Career Paths Are The Future

Gone are the days of the career ladder and a job for life. Instead, changing workplace trends, new priorities and low levels of engagement are seeing many people opt for non-linear career paths that prioritise purpose over neatly defined progress. Luckily, employers are as keen for flexible, adaptable employees as employees are for a new way to navigate their careers…