How the pandemic has shifted the way we think about work

The pandemic shifted a lot of the ways that people work, both where people physically work and also how people feel about work. Jackie Wiles describes a phenomenon called the Great Resignation that began during the pandemic.

Wiles explains that in October 2021, 3,500 people were interviewed by Gartner and 65% of people reported that the pandemic made them rethink the place that work should have in their lives. Additionally, 56% reported that the pandemic made them want to contribute more to society.

The pandemic allowed for a lot of adjustments in the workplace. Jobs that were previously held in an office could now be held remotely and classes could be taken from anywhere in the world.   These changes allowed for a lot of time for people to contemplate life and the scary nature of the pandemic made a lot of people question their place in the world.

This led people to search for jobs that would greatly fulfill their needs either through continuing to be remote or finding a job that allows them to feel more fulfilled mentally.

Personally, I experienced a very similar feeling. The pandemic made me think about how I wanted to work. For me, the stress of losing my job or being exposed within my job made me desire a more stable 9-5 job in which I would have sick days and set holidays. Overall, the pandemic made me want my life would be relatively stable and routine.

The pandemic also made me about the impact that I would have on the world. Something that really stuck with me from the pandemic was John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” show. While this show didn’t last long, the positivity that it brought to the world was incredible. The feeling that I got from watching “Some Good News” is the same feeling that I want to help others have. Part of why I love the work that I’m currently doing with Perform with Purpose is that I know I am at least a part of helping someone.

This article was fascinating because while I experienced these changes, I didn’t connect that part of the reason why is because of everything that the pandemic both made and allowed me to think about.

Overall, the pandemic's heartbreaking deaths has brought some positivity by allowing people to realize that they want something more than their current job and giving them the ability to pursue those passions or at least discover them a little more.  This is a very important realization because the pandemic affected everyone in the world, and therefore a majority of people are probably feeling these effects. The time and energy that people spent during the peak of the pandemic contemplating their position in the world are already starting to change the workplace environment and culture, and I think people and society will be feeling the positive outcomes of these revelations for many years.

Written by: Bryn Garick

Sources: Gartner_Inc. (n.d.). Employees increasingly seek value and purpose at work. Gartner. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/employees-seek-personal-value-and-purpose-at-work-be-prepared-to-deliver