The Evolution of Workforce Tendencies in 2022

The last couple of years have been truly transformative for business, and the world as a whole. After the COVID-19 outbreak, entire countries experienced closures, companies were forced to shut down, and employees faced new uncertainties they never came across before. Job security was disrupted and new work models, mainly remote work, gained prominence. Even as we move into the post-pandemic world, the effects of the coronavirus can still be felt in the industry. Consequently, new trends and tendencies began to emerge, and here are just some of the most important ones shaping the workforce evolution today:

A new focus on digitisation

Digitisation has been an important workforce trend for years, but the pandemic truly accelerated the need for better digital solutions. As remote work quickly became the new normal, businesses were encouraged to implement new solutions to support this work model and ensure optimal efficiency. For that reason, workforce management software was used to track and analyse employee performance, create predictions about the future of work, and communicate to ensure all team members are on the same page. These tools can facilitate a number of tasks and support productive and efficient workflows, thus becoming essential to effective workforce management.

A rise in contingent workers

Many employees have lost their jobs due to the financial instability of the pandemic, while others faced non-traditional work environments for the first time. As a result, the number of contingent workers began to rise. This doesn’t only include contractors and vendors any longer, even though these spaces were dominated by contingent workforces before. Now, the number of freelancers and part-time workers is on the rise in industries across the board, and they are becoming increasingly popular for companies to hire, particularly when it comes to short-term projects.

The need for globalisation

The advancement of technology made collaboration with others incomparably simpler, no matter their location. Companies of all types and sizes have taken advantage of this fact, especially after the lockdowns and restrictions that followed the coronavirus pandemic. As it turns out, expanding the talent pool came with a number of benefits. Businesses now have better chances of finding highly qualified candidates for nearly any position, often at a lower cost as well. One downside of this, however, is the fact that efficient communication became more important than ever, making communication and collaboration tools crucial for supporting this trend.

Recruitment process outsourcing

As contingent workers rise and global talent pools continue to expand, recruitment has never been a more complex process for companies around the world. To resolve this issue and esure more streamlined operations, businesses are now turning to recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) providers as the ideal solution. As long as you choose an experienced RPO provider, it will be easier to navigate the challenging labour market and attract the talent you need. These solutions will enable you to achieve all your recruitment objectives with a focus on speed, quality, and reduced costs.

Boosting employee engagement

Successful companies know that the best employees are those who remain engaged with the business, putting in plenty of effort and demonstrating passion and commitment to the work they do. When workers know what their role within an organisation is and are driven to do well, their performance tends to improve as a result. However, involvement has suffered ever since the pandemic, which is why boosting engagement has become a priority for many businesses. This is usually done by supplying the right tools, providing training and development opportunities, giving individual attention, etc.

A focus on employee well-being

Another important workforce tendency to watch is employee well-being. While this trend was on the rise for quite some time now, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the need for better health and safety in the workplace. But this doesn’t only pertain to maintaining good hygiene and following safety guidelines in the office. Mental health is slowly becoming the most vital aspect of well-being that companies should focus on. Work-related stress and burnout are at an all-time high, affecting productivity and efficiency, which is why mental well-being should be supported through assistance programs, mental health days, flexible working hours, and similar solutions.

More diversity and inclusion

While the last decade has seen a significant increase in diversity and inclusion in the workplace, the global social movements that suddenly exploded in the last few years have put this tendency at the forefront. Now, employees are choosing workplaces that reflect their values and beliefs more than ever before; a lack of diversity just doesn’t cut it anymore. There has to be a wide range of different demographics representing different identities in work environments. This benefits businesses just as much as employees, coming with more creativity, innovation, and increased engagement.

The world continues to change, and business environments follow, along with workforce tendencies. The trends mentioned above are just some of the factors shaping the evolution of the workforce in 2022, but the future of work is bound to come with new surprises.