Hello, readers. This is The Shape of Work’s pilot newsletter!

We’re all about the Future of Work but, let’s get familiar with the now.

Round up the news

They said a picture says a thousand words but we like to give you a little extra.

Here’s this week’s top news in an infographic.

Gig worker demand set to rise 40% during festive season peak

As an HR Professional, your opinion shapes the organisation, the workforce, the business and the world. It really does.

I draw the line

Here’s where we get those controversial opinions running in the mill.

Go on, tell us what you think.

Statement: GenZ has the power to revert Return-To-Office Mandates.

Square on the nose: The Secret to being a Fully Remote Company in 2024

Owl Labs says 66% of employees work in an office full-time, 26% are hybrid and just 7% are remote.

57% of respondents admitted they preferred working from home full-time, while interest in being in-person dropped by 24%.

Companies that work remote entirely have felt that the employees “live their lives” with no restraints and are therefore happier people.

As wholesome and warm as that sounds, working remote is no easy model to adapt to.

Here are some anticipated challenges

• With members across different time zones and teams, you need to invest and find the right technology that connects you.

• Video call, document-sharing and messaging platforms need to be easily integrated with one another.

• Managers need to come up with creative ways to build relationships within the team

• Virtual check-ins, assessing performance and avoiding employee isolation have to be addressed thoroughly.

Now, that’s a lot of prep, research, adaptation and most of all— training.

You might ask yourself—

Is being entirely remote worth it?

The answer is a resounding yes!

Remote Work can be incredibly rewarding:

• Everybody has a better shot at work-life balance

• Save money on gas, childcare and little things that add over time

• The edge of being able to hire internationally

• Lesser fatigue and sick leaves now that rigorous travel is out of the picture

And that’s how you keep the work remote and the company lively.

Here are some extra reads:

• Solving the RTO clash

• How Booking.com's CPO keeps his 24,000 employees engaged across the globe

• Why managers are to blame for 'quiet vacationing'

AI that puts HR back in Shape

You know what we never get tired of? The ‘shape’ puns and appreciating our slack group.

Our slack group is built entirely on two principles— no spam, and respect for a fellow member.

Here’s another time AI is super helpful—

Resume Ranking: The goal is to identify the most qualified candidates quickly and efficiently— saving time and resources for recruiters and hiring managers.

Wondering if AI can help? Take a look at this conversation:

Want to be privy to conversations like these? This is your chance!

The heart shaped community

You know what we never get tired of? The ‘shape’ puns and appreciating our slack group.

Our slack group is built entirely on two principles— no spam, and respect for a fellow member.

Here’s what you stand to unlock:

• Exclusive experiences like Masterclasses, roundtable discussions & in-person meetups

• Help and support from other 10,000+ super smart HR Leaders & People Ops professionals— in real-time

• HR/People Ops Job listings in our #hr-job-listing channel

• Have curated 1:1 introductions with new people in the community

That’s it for this edition, folks.

Looking forward to seeing you on the channel,
Team TSOW