Young People’s Adjustment to Post-pandemic Work Styles

Globalization has led to continuous development and a focus on digitization, which has introduced new forms of employment and organization in the labor market. This has led to increased flexibility for all parties involved, including employers, employees, and the unemployed (Alcover, 2020). One of the most notable changes in the way we work is the rise of "virtual switching" or working from home (Bloom et al., 2015; Spitzmuller & Stanton, 2017). This has become a common practice in various industries, as it allows employees to optimize their work performance while meeting the employer's needs. This shift towards remote work has led to an increase in the number of jobs that rely heavily on virtual communication and collaboration (Hsu & Lee, 2021), and this trend is expected to continue in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the way people work (Davenport & Kirby, 2015), particularly for young people who are just entering the workforce (Baruch, 2015). Remote work, virtual meetings, and online communication have become the norm for many companies (Grant & Parker, 2009), and it can be difficult for young people to adjust to these new ways of working. Some challenges that young people may face include a lack of face-to-face interaction, difficulty in building relationships with colleagues, and a lack of clear communication and guidance from supervisors (Handy, 1995). To adapt, young people may need to learn new communication and collaboration tools (Parker & Axtell, 2001), develop good time management and self-motivation skills, and find ways to connect with colleagues and build relationships remotely. Additionally, companies can support the adaptation of young people by providing clear expectations, guidelines, and training on the new ways of working.