It’s that time of year again and we’ve got our crystal ball out ready to make some predictions for business in the year 2022! It’s been a year of ups and downs, what could the new year bring with it in terms of the world of work?
The Big Resignation
With 2021 being the year that people reassessed whether they were happy in their work and looking for a better work/life balance, starting businesses they’ve always longed to start and many turning to the world of freelancing… There has been a huge shift in the recruitment industry with applicants being more selective, requiring more than just basic salaries and benefits as well as the different models of working being introduced.
Businesses are struggling with hiring new talent because people are putting their needs at the forefront of their job-hunting process. We see 2022 being a year where jobseekers will look to hybrid and remote working models, with real company benefits being sought rather than token gestures such as ping pong tables, vending machines and fast food Fridays. People – particularly millennials and younger – are asking for a better company culture, more diversity and inclusion and are holding companies accountable when it comes to sustainability and the environment.
Flexible working becomes the norm
Yep, we’ve always known it, which is why our business centres are set up for different ways of working with flexible and affordable leases… flexible working will be normalised in 2022 with a large increase in people choosing to work from home – or from more preferable locations.
Since the pandemic, people haven’t missed the long commutes and the tiring days of socialising and being interactive. Now we can host the meetings that could have been emails on a Teams or Zoom call, from the comfort of our own homes, a local cafe or… well from anywhere! Whilst a touch of professionality is still needed – offices and meeting rooms like the ones we provide at The Workstation will become a staple in freelancers, self-employed and startups lives… the world of work is changing and it looks more modern and flexible than ever.
Mental Health and Burnout will continue to be talked about
Whilst the conversations around mental health and burnout have increased over the last year around the workplace, it’s still not being talked about enough. Maybe 2022 is the year we’ll see these discussions happening more often and rather than being a box to tick, will become an initiative among business owners and employers to take the steps needed to help improve the support and resources available to workers.
Company culture is a huge topic of discussion right now, with companies with toxic workplaces and environments being called out and having a spotlight shone on them. These examples will lead the path for healthier and happier workplaces going forward – showing us what it looks like when it goes wrong and what it could look like if it was done right.
A Collective and Collaborative Approach
Whilst 2020 and 2021 were in the clutches of the coronavirus, one thing it did do was bring communities together. We looked out for each other more and we found the community spirit that we thought had been long ago lost to the digital realm of social media and virtual reality. Reconnecting in person is on the cards for 2022, after two years of mask-wearing and social distancing – people are coming back together in terms of events, conferences and networking groups. Albeit a lot of them will still happen online, there will be a much more human approach to communication after a long time of isolation and distance between us.