6 Key Trends In Workplaces That Will Dominate 2022 And Beyond

Workplaces are dynamic. The work environment is ever-changing. Organizational cultures have a great effect on the productivity of the employees. A great workplace culture fosters the optimal performance of the employees. As we add more years to our calendars, workplace productivity trends keep arising and changing how we view the workplace and it’s effects on productivity. Many organizations strive to find a productive workforce. A productive workforce ensures that your organization meets its business goals, therefore, sustaining the viability of the organization. The year 2021 was very volatile. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the business operations of many organizations. The workforce was majorly affected. Over 35 million workers quit the workforce. The pandemic disoriented the workforces of many organizations consequently necessitating reorganization in 2022 and going forward. Several workplace productivity trends have come into effect, reorganized and shaped workplaces and work cultures in organizations. These workplace productivity trends are only evolving and are going to be the norm in 2022 and beyond. With all that happened in 2021, there is a desire and greater need for organizations to have an optimal workforce.

Workplace Productivity Trends To Consider Today

Having consulted several human resource experts, we compiled a list of 6 workplace productivity trends that will dominate workplaces and ensure optimal workplace productivity.

Embracing the hybrid and remote working model

The pandemic unfolded and exposed the possibility of working from home and still maintaining employee productivity. During the pandemic, employees could neither commute to work nor convene in their offices. Most organizations opted for their employees to work from home. With the mass vaccination rollout, employees partially returned to the office. The hybrid work model allows employees to work remotely for several days and only report to the office when necessary. Remote working allows employees to work remotely, away from their offices. Hybrid and remote work models have been proven to be effective and very convenient for both the employer and employee. Flexibility will be a differentiator and a big factor at play in recruiting and retaining employees. Companies should definitely offer the optionality of choice of working models to their employees in 2022 and beyond.

Automate where necessary

Automation of certain roles in the workplace is a trend that has been gaining traction over time. With hybrid and remote working taking shape, some organizations have opted to automate some of the functions that can seamlessly be automated. Automation is not meant to replace the workforce. Rather, it is meant to complement the workforce and employee output. Automation contributes to and enhances task accuracy while cutting down on the time required to complete the task at hand. Automation coupled with employee output is one of the ways to increase workplace productivity. Employers need to be cognizant of automation as a workplace productivity trend in 2022 and beyond.

Flexibility in working Hours as a workplace productivity trend

The Covid-19 pandemic brought about several adjustments to the working structure of many organizations. These changes, though timely and appropriate during the pandemic era, are more likely to continue being in effect in 2022 and beyond. One of these workplace productivity trends is a shorter work week and flexible working hours for employees. A report by CNBC highlighted this trend in which employees are pushing for a shorter work week of 3 to 4 days.  Employees are also pushing for the opportunity to be accorded the freedom to choose a working schedule. People have different optimal hours. Permitting employees to choose optimal working hours for themselves could be a workplace productivity trend that survives 2022 and beyond. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all working schedule, employees should be allowed to customize their working schedules to allow them to be at their optimal performance.

Meritocratic and unbiased recruitment

Recruitment and staffing must be done on merit without any bias. The workforce of the organization must be recruited based on their qualifications and merit. Diversity and inclusion are some of the bare minimum requirements for an excelling organization in 2022 and beyond. Recruitment for candidates to fill vacant positions has in the past been marred with prejudices and biases. Subconscious biases against certain races and gender have in the past played a role in the recruitment of employees. Though many organizations have taken some substantial actions towards eradicating biases in their recruitment process, more needs to be done going forward. Unbiased recruitment provides a wide pool of talent that is productive in the organization. Organizations with a recruitment plan that is based on merit and devoid of bias have a higher chance of success. Meritocratic recruitment is definitely among the key workplace productivity trends of 2022.

Continuous learning and workplace development

Remote working has availed employees with sufficient time to continually build their skills in their scope of expertise. Rather than having terminal degrees, professionals are continually learning new things to increase their value in the workplace. Workplace learning has proven to be a very effective approach to building skills on the job. Professionals are re-skilling and up-skilling to help them perform their tasks better. Employers have also desired for their employees to build skills for optimal performance. Gaining additional skills, commonly referred to as re-skilling is a top initiative for workplace development. Increasing employee skills has a direct positive correlation with employee productivity.

Employee retention and promotion

With over 35 million people leaving the workforce, organizations have been left to scramble for the remaining talent force available in the market. Organizations have been forced to be creative in their approaches to retain their workforce. Internal hiring is one of the trends that have been widely embraced in the past few years. Internal hiring involves seeking a candidate within the organization to fill a vacant position. Employers no longer need to seek outsiders to fill vacant positions that can be filled by insiders. Internal hiring is appealing to current employees and increases the chances of talent retention. Another workplace productivity trend is timely promotion. Timely and merited promotion is a sure way of retaining talent. Promotions boost the morale of the workforce and are a source of motivation for the employees. Employees feel appreciated and valued and will reciprocate with dedicated service. Organizations that promote deserving employees on time and based on merit will have a higher chance of retaining talent and increasing workplace productivity.

Conclusion

Many workplace productivity trends have surfaced. Our list highlights some of the key trends that will dominate 2022 and the near future. Organizations ought to stay updated on these workplace productivity trends and find a way to adapt and embrace these trends for optimal employee performance and workplace productivity. Workplaces will always be changing and new trends will always emerge. Adopting and embracing emerging trends is important for organizations that want to survive change.