Boris Johnson’s long-awaited roadmap out of lockdown has been revealed, with a four phase plan setting out the lifting of restrictions in England. The roadmap focuses on reopening schools, and allowing individuals to meet outdoors, prior to non-essential retail and hospitality opening. With rules around indoor social contact not set to relax until the fourth phase, it’s unlikely that a full return to the office will be on the cards for months, leaving many workers concerned around their future prospects.

To gain insight, Future Strategy Club – a collective of hand-picked agency & consultancy talent – commissioned unique research into the impact of remote work on our cities and careers. The data has revealed the concerns around the return to the office, as the future of work looks uncertain, particularly for young people. With talent displaced across the country, increased redundancies, and fewer job openings, the lack of direction around the return to the office is taking its toll on workers, as they struggle with finding a job to suit their skillset, and progressing in their careers. Key takeaways from the data show that:

• A mass exodus from London saw more than 2 million people move away from the capital due to the pandemic
• Many of these are still reluctant to return to the City, as almost a quarter (26%) of the capital’s AB workers who left the City for lockdown have not yet returned
• Half (51%) of Brits are concerned that finding the right type of work will be harder post-pandemic
• Young people have been hit the hardest – 57% of 18-24 years olds and 53% of 25-34 year olds are concerned that finding the right type of work will be harder post-pandemic
• A third of Londoners are planning on heading back to the office as soon as it is safe, but worry that they won’t be able to make the right connections to help career progression
• This worry is more prominent in young people, with 35% of 18-24 year olds, and 29% of 25-34 year olds set to head back to the office as soon as it is safe, but worrying that they won’t be able to make the right connections
• This compares to just 17% of 35-44 year olds and 13% of 45-54 year olds

It’s clear that the current fragmented nature of UK talent is raising concerns for the future of work. Resources are scattered across the country, and young people’s prospects look uncertain. Office workers are concerned that the dispersion of talent will lead to reduced visibility, fewer networking opportunities and job openings – slowing their progression and dampening the appeal of the traditional career ladder, or forcing them into roles unsuited to their abilities.

Avalyn Kasahara, co-founder of Future Strategy Club, comments on Johnson’s roadmap and shares her top tips for career progression and networking over the next few months:

“Johnson’s roadmap understandably focuses on the re-opening of schools and allowing safe outdoor socialising, but many people are justifiably concerned around what it means for work and jobs going forward. Our data shows that there has been a seismic shift in London’s demographics, with huge proportions of young people and office workers migrating out of London for the pandemic, and raising concerns about their future – however, there are still things you can do to build your network.

Set a networking strategy. Think about what you’d like to achieve through networking and then use this to consider where best you might be able to meet people who can support you achieving those goals. Even before the pandemic, collectives of likeminded individuals were coming together around shared goals, passions and causes, and this has only developed further during 2020. Whether it is a specialism based collective focused on the breaking trends in your area, or a sustainability based collective looking at best practices or, like FSC, a collective based around personal and career growth, there are a lot of options to be involved in. 

Consider your current network and those that you have worked with that you admire. It could be worth reaching out to them personally to see whether you could set up a monthly mentorship session. This goes both ways, many senior leaders are looking to pick up their mentorship. Adding to that, make sure you’re utilising the digital tools available. Use LinkedIn to discover what people are doing, attend webinars, or reach out to someone for a virtual coffee.”