In this era of uncertainty, it’s difficult to make a concrete prediction about what to expect from the future of work.
However, taking the lessons learned and emerging trends of the past two years, experts can give an estimate of what could happen in the coming year.
One of the biggest factors impacting today’s workforce is the growing employment rate, which has almost reached pre-pandemic levels.
However, the bigger issue in 2022 will be finding employees to keep up with growing demand, especially as workers discover what they desire out of their workplace.
This has forced leaders to revamp their offerings to attract new talent, such as increasing compensation, offering better healthcare perks, free tuition, and more.
Another factor causing this labor shortage is workers wanting a better work-life balance and overall employee experience at their jobs. This includes being provided with more flexibility in their work schedule and environment to accommodate their unique workstyle.
As a result, remote working will solidify its role in the workforce. Although 2021 marked a time when companies hoped to bring workers back into the office, emerging new variants have led to the indefinite pause of return-to-office strategies.
Now, workers are more convinced than ever before that remote and hybrid working is the future. Without it, research shows professionals are satisfied with leaving their positions in search for a job that addresses this need.
Driving much of this demand for flexibility has been working parents, particularly mothers. Between August and September of 2020, over 800,000 women left the workforce to care for their children.
Companies who adjust their current policies to accommodate working mothers will likely see an uptick in interest for job openings. Plus, having a reputation that supports mothers and working parents overall can improve recruitment processes in the future.