I'm a Recruiter-Turned-Career Coach: Here Are 3 Critical Ways 2021 Changed The Job Market Forever

These pandemic years have been difficult in so many ways, but there’s no denying that they have radically changed the way we work and the trends we’re seeing in the workplace. 

Companies made drastic cuts during the start of the pandemic, and soon after realized they had over-cut in an attempt to cost-save. Now, they know how expensive it is to hire that talent back. What we’re seeing now with The Great Resignation is a mix of impulsive layoffs, burnt out employees and people who are beginning to value themselves differently in the market. 

The job market is extremely unique right now. Here are a few trends I’ve seen emerge this year.

1. Remote jobs are the new norm. 

What’s that? My job can’t be done remotely? Well, the pandemic proved all of that to be false in many cases (recognizing there are many frontline workers who do not have this privilege—I see you and thank you). In 2021 we’re seeing a lot more jobs being posted as “remote.” In October, there were 583,725 remote jobs posted on LinkedIn worldwide! I think we’re going to see a big uptick in gig and contract work as well in the coming years, as people crave that freedom to choose the benefits that work for them. 

2.  Flexibility and freedom became the most important invisible benefits in the workplace. 

Gone are the days of being made to feel “lucky to have a job at all.” This was a guilt tactic that a lot of companies heaped onto their employees in an effort to get them to stay. 

Instead, we see that the most trusting companies are the ones people most want to work for. No one should be looking over your shoulder or making sure you’re logged on every minute of the day. These are usually signs of insecure management. People in 2021 are holding their employers to higher standards, and have not been as hesitant to leave as they may have been in 2020. 

3. We started to prioritize our mental health. 

Benefits, especially healthcare in the U.S., have always been important, and one of the main reasons we work, but usually physical healthcare comes to mind first. Now, we’re seeing the most competitive companies fully cover therapy sessions or other mental health services for their employees. 

Taking care of our mental health has become such a focus because we saw what happened when we pushed ourselves excessively during a stressful world crisis (which we still see all around us today). It leads to extreme burnout, and it was one of the reasons many people, especially parents (and especially mothers, women and women of color) dropped out of the workforce.  

During an extremely painful time in our history, we get the chance to choose what works for us, where we work and how we work. Whether you’re hiring or job searching, I hope you see that you have options, that you can always choose differently if a situation is not working for you. Taking care of yourself comes first, whether that be mentally, physically or emotionally. 

What do you think is the no. 1 way the job search has changed this year? Share your answer in the comments and see what other Fairygodboss’ers have to say!

This article was written by a Fairygodboss contributor.

Marjorie Kalomeris is the Founder of MK Career Coaching, an interview and career coaching consultancy for women in tech. Marjorie is a Senior Recruiter in the tech space and has recruited at several hyper-growth tech companies like LinkedIn and HubSpot. She has lived in Ireland and the Netherlands as an expat and is currently based in NYC.