The modern workplace is experiencing a shift and it is happening at a progressive rate. While some companies are still reeling from the pandemic and restoring operations to its fullest, others have marched forward with new business and working models.
As the year draws to a close, we will see new workplace trends in 2022 with improvements made to the workplace landscape. Today, business owners and decision makers are thinking ahead to make operations and the workplace setting better equipped and resilient to change.
Gain an upper hand in meeting the ever-changing business environment with some insight to the modern workplace trends for 2022.
Top Workplace Trends for 2022
As the workplace evolves, here are 6 trends you can expect in the new year and beyond:
1. Reinvention
It is hard to think ahead for your future office when your business is in its present, but nevertheless, many companies are reinventing to cope with the challenges in a bid to turn changes into chances.
How will reinvention take place? Expect organisations to become more fluid in their approach.
Many are open to redefining their business model to fit their short- and long-term goals. Being fluid in their business model is also crucial in future-proofing the workplace because they can adapt depending on what the overall landscape is for the workplace industry.
But reinvention is not just taking place in the business model or theoretical level. It is also evident in the changes in their choice of office space. As of late, more businesses are opening up to offices that responds to the working style of their flexible workspace. They opt for flexible offices with agile workplace designs for the versatility to meet changes in their business.
2. Hybrid or Remote-First Work Model
The hybrid working model has been used to gradually facilitate the workforce’s return to the office, but its popularity has soared further as more organisations consider making it permanent. The hybrid work trend seeks to continue in the years ahead.
Many organisations have allowed their employees to split their time in the office and work remotely, depending on the demands of their job. This hybrid work model has been adopted by many key industry players like Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft, and is favourable for the flexibility afforded to employees over their schedule and work-life balance.
For businesses making the switch to hybrid working, many have opted the services of flexible office space providers to maximise capacity of a hybrid workforce without compromising space and the essential office features. These serviced offices are able to provide a responsive work setup – offices that can be scaled or shrunk by need, flexible leases, customisable workplace designs, bespoke IT solutions, and more.
3. Workplace Digitalisation
As organisations strive to create a digital workplace, digitalisation becomes increasingly important.
At this point, the pandemic has necessitated the adoption of technology and some automation platforms. In 2022, the influx of the technology-centric Gen Z into the workforce will further fuel digitalisation in the workplace. Gen Z are the workforce of the future and will make up 40% of the global workforce in the next year. We are likely to see companies capitalising on the use of digital collaboration and project management tools.
The digitalisation of business processes will continue to be important. AI tools will be implemented to automate some aspects of business. Collaboration tools will prove pivotal in organisations running a hybrid workplace model. With technology becoming an integral aspect in the future of business operations, it is key to have a secure workplace with a strong IT support. At Compass Offices, enterprise-grade IT infrastructure is available from day one, so tech innovators can immediately focus on their business goals.
4. Focus on a Healthy Workplace
One of the top trends in the office environment for the next year will be the focus on employee performance and productivity. A healthy workplace is practiced and preached for many years, but the resurgence of its importance came stronger when the pandemic hit.
This trend will see more organisations prioritising 2 areas. The first is developing a good and healthy workplace environment to improve employee morale and productivity. When employees are happy with their workplace setup, they gain more motivation and higher levels of satisfaction. These factor into their ability to deliver optimum performance at work.
Secondly, fostering a healthy workplace for employees will see to the reduction in costs associated with absenteeism, turnover, and medical coverage involved with an unhealthy workplace. According to this report, organisations can lose up to $225 billion a year on employee absenteeism alone.
A healthy work environment also translates to employee retention and it will be in any company’s best interest to work towards this goal.
5. Retaining Talent Will Be a Challenge
In the first half of 2021, there have been more than 15 million people who have left their jobs in a phenomenon that has been dubbed “The Great Resignation”. This quitting trend has continued into the year end, leaving companies with a big challenge of employee acquisition and retention as the New Year draws nearer.
Organisations are prompted to offer higher salaries to their existing employees to ensure retention. Some have also boosted their benefits and perks to keep employees happy, as well as to attract new talent. There has been a trend of upskilling in some industries in a bid to maximize their existing workforce.
There will also be a shift learning towards hiring skills-based talent. This is also reinforced in a Forbes article citing that companies will focus less on roles but more on skills. There will be a priority in maximising the potential of the existing workforce without greater need to constantly hire and train new employees, a move that can put a company’s bottom line at stake.
6. Managing Employee Performance
Employee monitoring tools has received a fair backlash with some employees finding the method obtrusive and damaging to trust and morale. However, the increasing use of these tools suggest that the trend will remain well into 2022.
With much of the workforce in a hybrid or remote working mode, many employers and managers find these tools useful in managing expectations and helping employees who struggle to find their bearings.
When used right, these tools should help managers and employees perform to the best of their abilities. However, managers will need to tread carefully and strike a balance between tracking productivity and micromanaging, and in return, employees will need to have a sense of ownership and accountability on their part.
Settling into Work in 2022
There has been plenty of discussion regarding change in the workplace over the last 2 years. Many factors shape the way we work, and the pandemic has altered our priorities, adaptability, and expectations.
For better or worse, change will be a constant. It is up to stakeholders in the workplace to make out of the changes and define the future of work.
Along with building a resilient team that adapts well to changes, having reliable and flexible office solutions can allow decision makers to focus on key areas of businesses.