Beyond 2022: Our Top 5 Workplace Trends
As a startup working towards building a more sustainable workplace model for the next generation workforce, we’re always paying attention to the various trends in the industry. What do employees want? What are they thinking about? What concerns them? And an article like this only scratches the surface when it comes to our findings. But we know this — as people and technology evolve, more and more opportunities for new ways of working will open up. And we have an opportunity to redefine the way in which we relate to the workplace.
As we near the end of the year, we’re thinking about what 2023 will bring and how companies can stay ahead of the curve. Here are the top 5 workplace trends we think all companies will need to adapt as we prepare for the new year and beyond:
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Wellness will be the new metric for employee success For decades, companies have measured employee success by productivity or engagement with their work product and teams. But today, companies are looking at how to support an employee’s overall wellbeing journey. In fact, a Gartner 2020 survey found that 94% of companies made significant investments in their wellbeing programs, and 85% of companies increased support for mental health benefits.
As we expand our understanding of wellbeing, we think companies will and should adopt more “wellbeing” benefits — from mental health to financial and physical health of employees. This will not only help companies retain the best talent and stay competitive, but increase employee productivity and naturally improve the bottom line.
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The Next-Generation Workforce will be skills-oriented, not roles-defined “To build the workforce, you’ll need post pandemic, focus less on roles — which group unrelated skills — rather than on the skills needed to drive the organization’s competitive advantage and the workflows that fuel this advantage.” – Gartner
While most job descriptions today describe a role that fits into an organizational hierarchy, more and more organizations are moving towards “flat” organizational structures. Instead of focusing on where someone sits in your organization, focus on what skills they bring to the table and how that resolves core gaps in your business. This shift in focus is not only better for business, it allows the best and brightest voices to be heard no matter what seat they’re in.
You no longer have to be sitting in the C-Suite to have a massive impact on a company.
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Flexible work is the way forward With over 75% of employees reporting either hybrid or remote work in the past year, it’s no secret that flexible work models are the way of the future. Companies simply cannot risk the levels of attrition that would come through inflexible models. Today, companies need to shift to a more employee-centric culture, thinking about how employees can connect no matter where they are — and what the best ways to engage a distributed workforce are.
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Management will be outsourced to evolving technology Gone are the days when managers oversee when employees check in and out of the office, or approve timesheets and measure performance purely on numbers. While opportunities for in-person interaction are decreasing and today’s manager can’t “look over your shoulder,” the need for strong people managers has never been greater.
The menial tasks of “management” no longer serve much of a purpose, especially as technology becomes more sophisticated and so much of it can be automated. Managers today need to play a role more akin to mentors. How do we help shape an employee’s career journey? What is their greatest skill and how do I develop that in connection with organizational culture? How do I connect to my employee as a person, not just an employee? These are the questions managers need to think about. And managers need to hone their relationships with employees.
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Talent is everywhere, tap into it There is no shortage of great talent in today’s economy. When you look at the sheer amount of innovation coming from Millenials and Gen Z, you’re looking at an incredible marketplace of talent. And companies need to start expanding their reach. Think beyond paper qualifications — some of your best people may not have the degree you’re looking for.
Companies need to develop new processes and infrastructure to recruit talent from a broader pool — looking for aptitude and skills — instead of hard qualifications.
These trends only scratch the surface, but we believe that this is where the world is going, and we hope you’re along for the ride.
For more content about the future of work, check out some of our other articles on veeryoffices.com/blog or follow us on social media @veeryoffices.
