{"id":23514,"date":"2021-12-16T06:34:30","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T14:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=23514"},"modified":"2021-12-16T07:21:37","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T15:21:37","slug":"5-workplace-trends-for-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/5-workplace-trends-for-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Workplace Trends for 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

The chain of reactions set in motion in 2021 will spill over into 2022. We\u2019ve learned to expect and adapt to changes as they occur, and now, professionals across every industry are hungry for better tools and spaces that support agility, empower the individual and provide an equitable experience. These trends will shape the world of work in the coming year and will be natural extensions of the pandemic-induced changes already in motion.<\/p>\n

To prepare for the demands of the coming year, we called upon the insights of four Poly experts from across the world: Carl Wiese, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for Poly worldwide; David Danto, Director of UC Strategy and Research for North America; Pierre-Jean Ch\u00e2lon, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific; and Paul Clark, Senior Vice President for EMEA.<\/p>\n

Trend 1: Hybrid Work Lives On<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The pandemic may have expedited the shift to hybrid and remote work, but success within this work model heralded a new expectation. Clark explains: \u201cWorkers who relish the perks of hybrid and flexible working have no desire to return to corporate life full time. Poly research<\/a> found<\/a><\/span> 80% of Europe and the Middle East employees prefer to spend some days working from home. With the economy picking up, professionals want more power to choose how they work and where.\u201d Work is now what<\/em> you do, not where<\/em> you do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne key aspect of hybrid working is allowing the employee to be the judge of where they need to be at any given time,\u201d said Danto. To reinforce this point, Clark asserts, \u201cChoice is a leveler and a catalyst for easy, meaningful and productive collaboration. It presents a great opportunity for HR, IT, facilities management and the wider business to be more attuned to what employees want from their experience of work.\u201d He continues, \u201cRather than being an asset that requires managing, employees have adopted a customer persona; they know what they want, why, when and how\u2014and they\u2019ll tell you. Ignore them and they\u2019ll go elsewhere!\u201d<\/p>\n

As we look toward 2022, a trend called the \u201cthe great resignation\u201d is sweeping the workforce. Swaths of professionals are walking out the door in favor of better opportunities. \u201cResearch shows<\/a><\/span> that over 40% of workers would actively look elsewhere if their employers fail to offer hybrid working,\u201d said Clark. The demand for flexible work is clear and businesses need to shift quickly to accommodate these new expectations if they hope to attract and retain talent. This not only entails adapting traditional work models but getting ahead of the work-from-home challenges we have all become familiar with, including video fatigue, isolation and the struggle with work\/life balance. Wiese predicts, \u201cCompanies that go the extra mile to offer workspaces and technology that foster a sense of wellness and belonging \u2013 both in the office and at home \u2013 will have an advantage when attracting and retaining top performers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e2lon explains how this shift is already impacting the job market: \u201cIt\u2019s led to an increasing number of job openings listing remote work as a key requirement. In 2020, about a third of job vacancies<\/a><\/span> involved work that could be done remotely, largely for PMET roles. Plus, more job seekers in Asia Pacific are searching remote-first roles<\/span><\/a> due to health fear associated with working in-office.\u201d\u00a0While the early days of the pandemic are behind us, health and safety continue to be a top concern as the landscape changes\u2014especially for job seekers. We can anticipate this will remain true in the new year.<\/p>\n

Trend 2: The Office as Collaboration Hub <\/strong><\/h4>\n

As professionals take control of when they are in the office and why, fewer people will be in the office regularly and will use the space differently, encouraging businesses to restructure their offices. \u201cOffices will no longer be physical spaces with defined, individual spots,\u201d said Clark. \u201cFuture workplaces will be ecosystems of spaces and rooms that match the working habits or needs of different personas.\u201d In agreement, Ch\u00e2lon explains, \u201cThe office becomes a collaboration hub, serving as a place for teams to brainstorm in small groups, host client meetings, celebrate milestones and work on joint projects. Professionals will need spaces dedicated to specific purposes, including hot-desking, conference rooms with easy-to-use video conferencing systems, and better cameras and monitors for desktop video meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Clark, this trend \u201cwill lead to significant changes in architecture, real estate, room design and investment in collaboration devices and technologies in future office buildings, as all these disciplines collide to provide the very best work experience possible.\u201d For many companies, this means reducing office space via subleasing by leveraging a \u2018core and flex\u2019 model or reducing their carbon footprint altogether by going almost fully remote. \u201cIn Singapore, central business district office occupiers could aim to reduce their footprint by 10% to 20% over the next three years<\/a><\/span>,\u201d said Ch\u00e2lon. Seeing this as a potential cost-saving opportunity that also meets the demands of the modern workforce, it\u2019s likely this trend will continue in 2022.<\/p>\n

Trend 3: Work Equity is a Priority<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Flexible work offers many opportunities but also presents a new challenge: meeting equity. To truly succeed, business leaders will need to devise workplace strategies and investments that ensure an equitable work experience for all, regardless of work base, for optimal collaboration and productivity. Ch\u00e2lon advises, \u201cAccess to reliable communications is key to ensuring people receive the same information, at the same time and to avoid any inadvertent bias for those not physically present in the conference room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e2lon adds, \u201cThe need to solve imbalanced experiences for those inside and outside the office is real. While we are all aware of the interruptions remote workers contend with, office-based employees face their own challenges, too. They may have limited access to quiet rooms for video meetings, or noise-canceling headphones and microphones for meetings from their desks. Many meeting rooms only have one video camera and microphone that cannot pan wide enough to show everyone sitting around a table, making it hard for remote workers to decipher who is talking or the nuance of what is being discussed.\u201d Danto asserts, \u201cThere are room systems on the market today that are smart enough to always show the right shot, and platforms that give each person in the meeting, remote or in-person, the same experience. You can expect even more of these features to hit the market in 2022 and bring us closer to the equity we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trend 4: Video is the Superhero<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Technology investments will go beyond deploying solutions and focus on tools that improve the employee experience. People expect easy-to-use, reliable technology that minimizes disruptions and ensures they will look and sound great. As a result, Ch\u00e2lon predicts, \u201cMany organizations and sectors will adopt a no-compromise attitude to ensure the highest quality video solutions are in place to support high-level productivity, resilience and customer service.\u201d<\/p>\n

This means the devices that bridged the communications gap at the beginning of the pandemic are no longer cutting it. Businesses must equip professionals with tools that empower the individual and support sustainable business practices. \u201cThis will drive an increased demand in pro-grade technology and collaboration tools that simplify the user experience, and in turn, improve productivity and collaboration,\u201d said Ch\u00e2lon.<\/p>\n

Video conferencing technology as a collaboration tool unleashes new opportunities for engagement globally. It has enriched the collaborative experience manyfold over the past two years and will continue to do so in 2022. Clark states, \u201cCollaboration is required for a happy workforce, with the link between employee well-being and business performance well-documented,\u201d and he warns, \u201cOrganizations that fail to support a flexible workplace in 2022 will struggle to build a collaborative culture.\u201d Wiese agrees, explaining, \u201cThose who don\u2019t plan for the reality of video collaboration will see a loss in employee productivity and lower overall satisfaction.\u201d Professional-grade video conferencing solutions will be pivotal to the 2022 workforce.<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e2lon points out that it\u2019s not just corporate professionals who need tools that improve their day-to-day work and practices. Professionals in government, real estate, education and medicine are especially hungry for solutions that enhance the end-user experience. Ch\u00e2lon states, \u201cThe rise in telemedicine, the boom of e-commerce, digital banking, hybrid call centres and more will be fueled by the flexible workforce,\u201d and will require the tools that support productivity and business continuity. We\u2019ve seen many organizations from these sectors revolutionize their way of work, improving their service with Poly solutions, and it will be rewarding to see more follow their footsteps in the coming year.<\/p>\n

Trend 5: Home Offices are Leveling Up<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The continued trend toward remote and hybrid work means home offices will be leveling up. Danto explains, \u201cHome set-ups will need to improve. A built-in camera and a set of consumer earbuds won\u2019t cut it long term. The way knowledge workers present themselves to clients and colleagues will significantly impact how they are perceived and how successful they can be.\u201d Now that hybrid and remote options are here to stay, the workforce will become more interested in investing in their home office. To ensure their once temporary workspace is optimized for professional, sustainable work, professionals will outfit their spaces with pro-grade technology.<\/p>\n

Office collaborators must also be able to move between their home and office bases with ease. Therefore, Ch\u00e2lon asserts, \u201cIt is essential that office collaborators are able to use the same infrastructure in the conference room as they do their home offices.\u00a0The breadth that Poly\u2019s product portfolio brings, for example, already gives enterprises the freedom and flexibility to make it possible.\u201d Businesses that equip their workforce with the required tools and create an equitable experience will win at home and the corporate office.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The chain of reactions set in motion in 2021 will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23515,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1724,548,526],"tags":[2205,2206,2207],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23514"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23514"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23524,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23514\/revisions\/23524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}