It’s been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, changing the way many professionals work. Technology played a huge role in helping companies shift their workforce from in-person to remote, practically overnight, and many employers today have continued to keep their workforce remote or offer a hybrid model. Since the pandemic, another trend was the Great Talent Migration of 2021, where many employees started jobs with new employers for reasons such as work burnout, more freedom and flexibility with work hours and location, and technical advances. Given all the changes in the past couple of years, what can you expect for 2022 and beyond? Here are a couple of our predictions…
Focus on Employees
In an article on Forbes, they think companies will focus on their employee’s requests and work preferences saying in part, “Remote, hybrid, automated, unbounded — employees will decide what they want for the future of work. To this end, companies need to have policies to create positive outcomes for their employees. They need to adopt agile working and provide flexibility and equal opportunities for their employees regardless of where they live or work. A whopping 55% of employees indicated that flexibility will influence their stay.” Employee’s wellbeing and mental health is another issue that’s gained well-deserved importance in recent years; in an employee-centric corporate culture, employers are more conscious of burnout and therefore more encouraging of a healthy work-life balance. Whether that’s offering remote work, unlimited PTO, adopting a 4-day workweek, or half-day Fridays, many employers have their own spin on creating an environment that fosters happier and more productive employees.
AI Augmented Workforce
AI and automation will augment some of our current jobs, especially those with repetitive tasks, and allow there to be more importance placed on creativity, emotional intelligence, and being a high-level strategic thinker. The World Economic Forum writes that “By 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs globally in medium and large businesses across 15 industries and 26 economies. Roles in areas such as data entry, accounting and administrative support are decreasing in demand as automation and digitization in the workplace increases.” AI will touch practically every industry, from retail and industrial work, to healthcare and the business world.