Nearly two-thirds of us are overwhelmed by changes in our workplaces, according to a new study

A woman stressed out while working from home

Credit: Getty

Careers


Nearly two-thirds of us are overwhelmed by changes in our workplaces, according to a new study

By Susanne Norris

4 months ago

2 min read

New research by LinkedIn has revealed that many of us are struggling to adapt to changes that are taking place in our offices.


Think about what work has looked like for you over the last few years, and it’s likely that you’ve seen a lot of changes. Whether it’s your office mandating more days back in the office (research indicates that hiring for remote roles is declining) or having AI implemented in certain areas of your role, there’s no denying that the working landscape has changed lately.

While change can be a good thing (AI, for example, can provide plenty of benefits to the way you work), a new study by LinkedIn has indicated that 64% of employees report feeling “overwhelmed” by changes to the way they work. The three most significant challenges people face are proving they can work from home successfully (30%), integrating AI into daily work (27%) and managing multi-generational teams (25%). 

Many employees say they don’t feel supported when adapting to what’s happening in their workplaces, with almost half saying they need guidance on how to navigate workplace change. Sadly, only 37% of people said they felt they could rely on their managers to help them through a period of change, too.

Girl tired of hard working, burnout because of work

Credit: Getty

How to adapt to change at work

If all of this sounds familiar, there are things that you can do to make changes in your career more manageable. Ellen Scott, Stylist’s acting digital content director and career expert, recommends trying the following:

Give yourself grace

“Change is hard, and it’s OK if it takes you a while to adjust,” explains Scott. “Give yourself permission to need time, space and extra communication around change, no matter what it is. That’s the case for positive change, too – it’s worth giving yourself some breathing space to let things settle. Booking yourself in for some ‘meetings’ that are actually just time to get to grips with everything can be a great shout.”

Be comfortable with not knowing everything

LinkedIn’s research indicated that only a third of people say continuous learning is critical in getting ahead, but Scott recommends seeing learning as a constant process. “It’s OK to be a beginner and it’s OK to start from scratch,” she says. “Try to reframe change as an opportunity to learn and try something new.”

Get support

Even if your manager isn’t receptive to your questions at first, it’s important to let them know just how crucial their support is. “If there’s a change in your responsibilities, make sure you ask your manager for training to go alongside it,” says Scott. “You can also look for other ways to up your skills, such as online learning, peer-to-peer chats or shadowing someone more experienced.”


Images: Getty

Share this article

Sign up for our fortnightly careers guide packed full of the advice and expertise every working woman needs and receive our ultimate guide to kickstarting your career using LinkedIn.

By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy

Thank you!

You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.