4 New Trends Shaping The New World of Hybrid Work

By Aoibhinn Mc Bride
by IFSC News
23 Nov 2022
IFSC

International Financial Services Centre

The world of work has undergone extensive change in the last three years and has evolved from a predominantly in-office model to a hybrid one, that now sees 40% of Irish workers working from home compared to 8% before the pandemic

While many workers prefer hybrid work for a myriad of work-life balance reasons, many employers are still reluctant to fully get on board with remote work and as a result, a litany of workplace trends have emerged. 

1.    Productivity Theatre

From camera on Zoom calls that could have been an email, to sending your manager daily WIP reports so every second of the day is accounted for, hybrid workers are turning to productivity theatre to reassure their managers they’re working hard.

This style of micromanagement doesn’t result in more productivity, instead it creates a more hostile hybrid working environment where employees feel like their every move is being monitored and their actual output is being overlooked. The best way to overcome this? Regular check-ins (via instant message or email will usually suffice) to establish what needs to be done daily, weekly or even monthly, and a clear understanding of deadlines and targets. 

2.    Tiara Syndrome 

Do you feel like you constantly strive to do your best, smash your targets and always have a positive can-do attitude to work matters but your efforts are going unnoticed? You probably have Tiara Syndrome.

Originally coined by Carol Frohlinger and Deborah Kolb, the founders of Negotiating Women, Inc. and authors of Her Place at the Table: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership to describe how many women approach salary negotiations, Tiara Syndrome is linked to imposter syndrome (feelings of profession inadequacy) and the “good girl complex” of always wanting to be liked and not making a fuss. 

The bad news for Irish workers? Not speaking up or asking your manager for a clear framework of professional goals you can work towards means you could get left behind.

3.    Proximity Bias

Without arduous commuting times or colleagues to chat with, working from home has made many of us more productive than ever. But your boss might not see it that way, and proximity bias means that many remote or hybrid workers are losing out on career progression and promotion simply by being out of sight, and out of mind.

In fact, in a survey of 800 supervisors conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly half (42%) said they forget about staff who aren’t office-based when assigning tasks. Which is probably why the vast majority (72%) shared that they would prefer all employees (remote or otherwise) to work from the office.

4.    Slack-splaining

Do you rely on exclamation marks to ensure your colleagues know you’re being friendly? Do you use a smiley face emoji at the end of every work email? Welcome to the world of Slack-splaining, the new way of communicating we’ve all adopted since hybrid work became the norm and instantly messaging replaced in-person conversation.

While Slack and other instant messaging (IM) apps were developed to speed up and streamline communication, a recent study has shown that excessive and embellished messages for fear of being misunderstood is costing the US economy $128 billion (€124 billion).

Knowing the workplace trends to watch out for and how to effectively deal with them should help streamline your 9-5, especially if you’re a fully remote worker or new to hybrid work. But if you feel like your current role has fallen victim to any or all of the above and you’re ready for a fresh start, the IFSC Job Board is filled with dozens of opportunities in the financial sector, like the three below that are hiring right now. 

Finance Manager, Morgan McKinley, Dublin

The Finance Manager is responsible for day to day group accounting procedures, ensuring internal controls with established infrastructures are being followed internally and by third-party service vendors. The role will be responsible for the group accounting and month-end closing processes, as well as the statutory reporting within each EU country. See the full job spec here.

Commercial Finance Analyst, Ryanair, Dublin

The commercial finance department at Ryanair is hiring a Commercial Finance Analyst to support the senior commercial team. The successful candidate will be tasked with preparing detailed monthly management reports, proposing and evaluating new business and route opportunities, preparing competitor and market analysis reports and challenging new airport deals. Find out more here

Business Finance Lead, Google, Dublin

Working as a business analyst, the Business Finance Lead needs to have experience writing SQL queries and retrieving data from relational databases along with experience with financial analysis and modelling, statistical methods, and spreadsheet software. The right applicant will also have experience partnering with executive management to shape business strategy, experience working within the tech sector and knowledge of EMEA markets. Apply now

  • To discover your dream career opportunity in finance, visit the IFSC Job Board today

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