The Biggest Crossroads Facing Our Workplaces in 2022

Why Flex Work Doesn't Work For Everyone

One of the most notable shifts catalyzed by the pandemic was our shift to remote work. Many have covered this extensively?including me. The shift to virtual work has brought many positive changes to the workplace including helping keep people safe, helping companies recruit and retain talent, and even giving a boost to diversity and inclusion.

The benefits of remote work are undeniable and provide exciting opportunities for the future of workplaces. With that said, we need to acknowledge two harsh realities:

1)????It seems COVID-19 will likely have a constant role in our society and workplaces for the foreseeable future.

2)????The benefits of remote work don’t extend to everyone. In fact, it may even be harmful to the well-being and professional development of employees for generations.

In accepting these points, it might be time we actively discuss the negative impacts of flex/remote work. The benefits of remote work are powerful and undeniable, but we also need to start addressing how remote work changes dynamics in the workplace that may negatively impact employees professionally and emotionally.

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How Can We Help Employees Maximize Their Potential

The importance of inclusion and transparency cannot be stressed enough for workplaces in 2022. With companies needing to "do more with less", there is no room for subpar employee engagement. Inclusion and transparency help foster a sense of belonging, understanding, and investment in company culture and affairs. The lines between leadership and employee continue to slowly fall with every given year. Maximizing productivity has almost become something that companies must work hard to earn daily. Tearing down these walls and making sure every employee feels their voice is heard is vital.?

Recent studies by Qualtrics show that 92% of employees believe?it's?important their company listens to feedback. Fortunately, the stats show that?employees are?also?increasingly given the opportunities to provide feedback.?In 2019, 63% felt they had the opportunity to provide?feedback, and in 2020,?69%.?Unfortunately, there remains a gap between feedback and action. Only 7% of the same respondents feel their feedback is acted upon and results in a change.?

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What Can be Done to Prepare for the 'Great Re-Skilling'

In the metaphor of a sinking ship, 2020 was the mad scramble to find a life vest. In this same metaphor, 2022 is our attempt to swim safely to shore. While we’ve overcome the traumas of initial?WFH?growing pains, workplaces aren’t in the clear yet. There are infinite challenges facing workplaces and their employees. Learning has become among the most important functions of HR and company leadership.?

According to?CNBC, 50% of employees are either looking for a new job or planning on it. 48 million people quit their job in 2021. While most of them cite higher pay, over 20% say they would leave for the same pay.?

Some reasons include hybrid work, career advancement, and respect. Other sources cite job security. Employees are pivoting their careers to?stay ahead of uncertainty?and/or stagnation at work. Other trends highlight employees taking advantage of a tight labor market to enact payback on the subpar work conditions, culture, and policies they’ve had to endure.

These are just the beginning of the challenges facing workplaces. We haven’t even begun to dive into the various logistical, geopolitical, or macroeconomic challenges facing companies and communities around the world.?

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