6 Vital Workplace Trends for 2020

Would you ever care to drive your organization forward by constantly looking in the rear-view mirror to see where you’ve been? 

Let these six approach workplace trends from BWCI President Al Lopus, help you see the highway of tomorrow today—and lead with fresh awareness and purpose in this New Year. 

#6 The virtual workplace is poised for even more growth as tech-savvy employees work remotely. 

Flexible work arrangements are in flow with the modern digital lifestyle and will include more international locations.   

• Example: Two years ago, we identified an emerging trend of virtual workplaces on our podcast interview with Shannon Miles. Shannon and her husband cofounded Belay, which has connected hundreds of churches, ministry organizations and businesses to create productive, effective virtual workplaces across the U.S. (Including BCWI). 

• The appeal of the virtual workplace is what Belay likes to say “Bringing order to your chaos”—putting together a team and finding the right person when he or she doesn’t seem to exist—and that can range from a virtual assistant,  bookkeeper, or specialist in website maintenance. 

#5 Digital learning is already narrowing skill gaps

According to Deloitte, the world of work is quickly changing and employees require a lifetime of continuous learning to keep up. But many organizations aren't providing the learning environment needed to tackle the workforce skills gap. Millennials, who will represent nearly half of the workforce by 2020, place a high value on learning, yet 42 percent say they are likely to leave their current job because they aren't learning fast enough.

Whether it's a webinar presentation or online training, digital learning is already redefining the health and wellbeing of the workplace culture through:

• Personalized learning
• Expanded learning opportunities
• High engagement learning
• Competency-based learning
• Assessment for learning
• Collaborative learning

#4 New technology has already transcended email

Email is being taken over by software programs like Slack, Teams, and WhatsApp. This dovetails into the growing trend where we see more people completing the BCWI Staff Engagement Survey on smartphones and tablets.

Tools like Google Docs, Planner, and OneNote are collaborative by design. Why shuttle emails back and forth and keep opening, downloading their clunky attachments, when everybody on your designated team can post, retrieve and revise one shared document. In so doing, these technologies have injected the workplace with a new sense of teamwork, cooperation, productivity, and effectiveness.

[shareable cite="Al Lopus"]Whether it's a webinar presentation or online training, digital learning is already redefining the health and wellbeing of the workplace culture.”[/shareable]

#3 Welcome to the gig workforce!

Intuit estimates that by 2020, 4 out of 5 of American workers will be Independent contractors. Harvard Business Review reports that 150 million workers in North American and Western Europe are currently engaged as independent contractors.

• In the gig workplace, short-term contracts and freelancing reign supreme over permanent employees. This grants employees flexibility and freedom to pick and choose jobs or even the amount of work performed.
• For many people, the gig economy provides lifestyle benefits that often are hard to come by in traditional working life, such as a high degree of flexibility and the opportunity to be your own boss.

#2 The employee experience takes center stage

Translation: Meaning and purpose is a significant advantage for Christian organizations. For Christian organizations, 60% strongly agree that the mission and goals of their organization make them feel their job is important. According to Gallup, only half that many employees in the secular workforce feel the same way. The competitive advantage of Christian organizations is that we have purpose and meaning in our work.

Plus, consider:

• The employee experience can influence an employee's decision to return to a former employer and recommend an organization to other high-talent individuals.
• The truth of great employee experience is that people will choose to stay with their organization even when they're offered greater pay for comparable work elsewhere.
• Remember, it’s all about the employee experience journey:
  Attract -> Hire -> Onboard -> Engage ->  Perform -> Develop

#1 Millennials are on the rise

The truth is that millennials are one of the main drivers for positive change.  Born in the digital age, millennials are tech-savvy and value digitalization in all its forms. At their best, millennials bring fresh ideas and new workflows into an organization and value new ways of working.

This is great news for churches, parachurch organizations and Christian-led companies. When you consider the fact that millennials now make up the majority of the workforce, it becomes clearer than ever that they are not a trend or a theoretical concept. They are here and now, reshaping our world and how we work in it. As the next generation, Generation Z, who are used to instant access to just about anything, joins the workforce, these changes are sure to accelerate even more.

 These six leading workplace trends of 2020 can point all Christian leaders to a common good: It’s who we are, as leaders, as individual followers of Jesus, that will endear people to want to work for our organizations. Harassment and all unethical behavior are never Christ-like; with humility, compassion, and patience we can always inspire and equip the flock God has entrusted us to shepherd, advancing his Kingdom on earth.

How We Determined the Six Trends

• First, we listen carefully to the workplace issues and challenges leaders across the U.S., Canada, and around the world bring to us.
• Second, we monitor news, best practices, and breakthroughs gaining force and shifting the workplace cultures for the better—for God’s work on earth.
• Third, we continually ask ourselves, “What workplace culture trends point to our mission at BCWI—'equipping and inspiring Christian organizations to set the standard as the best, most effective places to work in the world’?”

-- Al Lopus

It’s Your Turn!

Which of these six trends can you already see at work in our organization and/or perhaps a particular church, parachurch ministry you admire?

Coming Up Next in on our Continuing Series

“How to Integrate Culture in Your Ministry”
Jerry Hurley, Pastor and Team Development Leader
Life.Church
Edmond, Oklahoma