Workers who started their careers during Covid are being urged to help with an inquiry into the “hybrid generation”.
BSI has launched a call for evidence inviting young people to take part in an investigation into how career journeys that started around the time of the pandemic in 2020 have been progressing.
The national standards and improvement company aims to explore the experiences of those who entered the world of work during Covid, looking specifically at the effects of the restrictions on younger employees and how the changes to working practices have shaped their careers.
Marking five years since the first global lockdowns started, the inquiry forms part of BSI’s Evolving Together series on the Future of Work. It examines areas such as job satisfaction, earning potential, mental and psychological wellbeing and frequency of job switching. It also considers how hybrid management is impacting the development of skills and career progression.
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The research aims to gain insight into what actions are needed to ensure younger employees can thrive at work and add value to their organisation, helping them to develop and ensure they can benefit the economy as a whole.
Kate Field, global head of human and social sustainability at BSI, said: “As we approach five years since the pandemic fundamentally reshaped the working world, many questions abound. While individual organisations must find the structure that works for them, flexibility is increasingly central to the conversation. Hybrid structures are now the norm for some, but not for all and certainly not for all jobs.”
The study will also consider the effect of remote or hybrid working on people who started their careers in roles where this is usually not an option, such as in retail, construction and healthcare. It will explore whether the recent changes created greater opportunities, for example by improving accessibility or diversity.
Field added: “For those who started work as the world locked down, their experiences have necessarily been distinct to prior generations – and we don’t yet have a clear picture on the impact of that on their career progression, wellbeing or wider experiences, either short or long term. But younger workers, as with those further on in their careers, have an enormous amount to contribute. We believe it is critical to build greater understanding, so that they have the opportunity to flourish at work and help their businesses and the economy to grow.”
Individuals and groups with relevant experience are invited to share their written evidence submissions by 31 January 2025.
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