There has certainly been a whirlwind of changes in our working lives during the past couple of years. This has mainly been fueled by the necessity and concerns for safety in response to the Covid-19 pandemic – the greatest public health crisis of our time.
Business owners and organizational leaders have learned to adapt to new behavioral patterns and rising expectations when it comes to how we do our jobs. American workers have demanded a healthier work-life balance and more control over where and how they perform their job duties.
When exploring the future of work, one pronounced trend is a widespread shift from offices and centralized workplaces. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, 69 percent of large companies expected an overall decrease in the amount of office space they would be using, according to research by KPMG.
Here are the most notable workplace business trends for 2022 and beyond.
Remote and Hybrid Work
There has been a sea change in the past few years in how people work. This has permanently transformed employees’ relationship with and expectations of work. One of the most profound trends in 2022 is hybrid and remote work.
In a FlexJobs survey involving approximately 4,600 job seekers conducted last year, 58 percent said they want a fully remote role post-pandemic. Another 39 percent preferred a hybrid setting.
Employers seem to be listening to their workers. A 2021 WeWork survey that teamed up with independent research firm Workplace Intelligence reported that 79 percent of C-suite executives intend to permit employees to divide their time between remote work and being in the office if the job role allows for it.
Coworking Spaces
Coworking spaces have more momentum right now than any other workspace trend. The number of coworking facilities is expected to reach as high as 36,000 by 2025 – from 18,000 in 2019. More than 5.1 million people will have coworking membership by the end of 2022.
Recent surveys have revealed that coworking spaces inspire workers to be more productive, and they are also usually happier than employees at traditional offices. Companies like Verizon, Bank of America, and IBM are jumping on board the coworking movement, citing cost and culture as the advantages.
Coworking spaces work well for all types of businesses. They provide employees the flexibility to manage their time and pace, save costs, and develop a diverse network. Many company CEOs report that coworking space leads to innovation by allowing workers to collaborate and access varying viewpoints. All of this leads to improved job performance.
Looking for Coworking Space?
Burbity Workspaces has the solution for you. We offer professional shared coworking memberships.
Employee Health & Wellness
Business owners are paying much attention these days to the health and well-being of their workers. Although the tendency to conform employee job roles to the workers’ personal needs and preferences began with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to gain a lot of momentum.
Companies are increasingly prioritizing work-life balance and the mental health of their employees. As the coronavirus outbreak continues to generate more stress and burnout among workers, employers are responding by providing greater workplace flexibility and additional employee benefits.
This hot workplace business trend can be seen among many diverse companies throughout the country. For example, 53 percent of employers added mental health programs to their employee benefits because of the two-year pandemic, according to PwC’s 2021 Health and Well-Being Touchstone survey. Also, in this same survey, 44 percent of organizations said they added or increased their staff paid time off and wellness programs.
AI and Automation
One pronounced trend gaining full steam in 2022 is greater use of artificial intelligence and automation. Artificial intelligence and automation within businesses and organizations have quickly become much more prevalent and important for success and output.
They have also transformed the workplace in many ways. They have led to greater productivity and increased employee engagement at businesses in diverse industries.
As some jobs are replaced by AI and automation, reskilling internally at companies – instead of hiring more employees – has turned into a cost-saving and practical solution.
Cloud Storage
This cloud computing model ensures that everyone in an organization is working off the same and most recent file version.
With the prevalence of coworking spaces and remote and hybrid work practices, it should be no surprise that data storage in the cloud has emerged as a major workplace trend. Cloud storage is in usage in businesses across a wide spectrum of industries as more and more employees work from satellite offices or at their homes.
There seems to be an infinite demand for cloud storage, and its growth is phenomenal. Between the years 2019 and 2027, the cloud storage market is anticipated to grow from $42.12 billion to $222.25 billion.
Virtual Team Building
There is no doubt that virtual team building is a hot new trend that shows no signs of slowing down. It is one of the most popular team-building trends of 2022. And, as remote work gains a stronger foothold among businesses and organizations, virtual team building will see even more widespread adoption.
Virtual team building is appealing not only to dispersed teams but also to teams that have situations such as frequent travel or caretaking duties.
Employee Retention Rates
As employers look at the staggering numbers of U.S. workers resigning from their jobs amidst calls for more personal accommodations and job satisfaction, they are making employee retention a major priority. This workplace business trend is expected to continue well past 2022.
The Great Resignation, also known as the Big Quit, represents a much higher-than-normal number of employees voluntarily resigning from their jobs. This trend took hold starting in late 2020 and early 2021.
That has prompted business owners to offer workplace flexibility packages to their employees. By catering to personal preferences when it comes to where and how workers do their jobs, employers hope to stem the tide of massive resignations so they can remain competitive in the marketplace.
Collaboration Platforms
Collaboration software has redefined the future of work teams, and its growth is undeniable. What is an especially emerging trend are workstream collaboration platforms. They can be deployed into existing multi-cloud, multi-vendor, and multi-modal environments.
Workstream collaboration platforms are a highly practical solution for businesses in that they eliminate multiple logins and different user interfaces. Collaborative apps are integrated, and employees don’t have to utilize multiple communication channels in order to collaborate on a project.
As we look to the future of work, workstream collaboration platforms are sure to remain a hot trend that will flourish in the fast-changing marketplace. It is anticipated that by the end of 2022, roughly 70 percent of businesses will depend on workstream collaboration platforms as their main means of coordinating, communicating, and sharing information, according to CIO Magazine.
Look to Burbity Workspaces for Coworking Space
Are you looking for coworking space? Here are the benefits of taking advantage of coworking spaces with Burbity:
- Flexibility
- Networking
- Increased Productivity
- Decreased Loneliness
We are located in Liberty Lake, Spokane, and Spokane Valley. See how we can make your work better.
