Future of Work Trends in 2022

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The 7 areas dominating future of work trends in 2022

The last 24 months have changed everything. For businesses. For leaders. For employees. Now, as the dust settles, one fact becomes clear:

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Reinvention

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Accountability

Inclusivity

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Let’s look at how this new age of the human will play out across the seven areas that are dominating future of work trends in 2022.

Power has shifted.

From organizations to people. From profit to mutual prosperity. From “me” to “we”.

Employees are now starting to ask human questions about the work they perform. Why am I doing this? What is it for? How can we do it better? Many are choosing to leave their jobs. The competition to attract new talent is growing fiercer than ever.

This poses an existential threat to businesses everywhere. An organization is only as good as the people it employs; those organizations that want to survive and thrive in 2022 will need to respond to the new power dynamic in kind. Look beyond financial goals to consider the needs of all their people. Treat employees as human beings, not parts of a machine. Break down silos and overcome remote working challenges to ensure people feel connected to the company purpose and vision and each other. Embrace the possibilities of the future and make work, work for everyone.

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #1

Reinvention

The flipside of disruptive change

How can you even think of moving forward? The last two years have just been about surviving. Change was forced, extreme, reactive. But out of all this disruptive change came something incredible. We learned to work in an entirely different way. We collaborated, innovated, were agile and flexible. All qualities we need as we are reinventing organizations.

What is happening?

The future will continue to be full of opportunities and challenges. Climate change. Digital disruption. Global shortages and supply chain issues. And don't forget the fickle customer. If you are not obsessing about their needs, you're doomed to fail.

Business models will change. We'll explore more flexible production methods tailored to our customers' needs. We'll put people at the heart of everything we do but empower their productivity with technology. And we’ll reconnect to each other and the purpose of the organization.

6 ways organizations will reinvent in 2022

“Platform and Marketplace” businesses will spread rapidly resulting in new jobs, new ways of working and new business models.

Organizations will respond creatively to changes in consumer demand and industry mash-ups will become the norm.

Organizations will become more fluid. Expect flatter, non-hierarchical structures and more project-based working.

Production will become more personalized as technology continues to reshape how products get made, marketed and sold.

Increasing numbers will find ways to augment humans’ productivity with machines. The focus will be less on the jobs employees perform and more on the capabilities people and technology can offer.

Companies will reinvent where work gets done as they formalize hybrid models of working.

What you can do about disruptive change

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Stop thinking about work in terms of jobs and start think in terms of capabilities instead. Shift from Executive Leadership to “Enterprise Leadership”. Ensure learning agility is a ‘must have’ for everyone in the organization (not just leaders). Be creative about talent acquisition and talent management strategies to secure the niche, in-demand skills you need to succeed. Invest in upskilling and reskilling. Reimagine performance management to become more flexible, project focused and “always on”. Understand what jobs and what people are truly remote-able.

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of the world’s most admired companies value learning agility and curiosity over career history and experience when it comes to hiring.

If 2020 and 2021 were years of unplanned reinvention, 2022 is where it gets intentional.

Shifting to agile ways of working

Transforming into a Radically Human Organization

A new blueprint for performance management

3 Ways to Transform Your Company

Choose your own future: A blueprint for transforming your workforce

Reimagining Remote Work

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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10 Talent Acquisition Trends to Impact Candidates in 2022

A people-first approach for strategic talent acquisition

How to create a fulfilling candidate experience

Talent shortage moves to a chronic problem in 2022

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

of professionals believe employee turnover will only increase in the coming year.

We can’t be just in time anymore. That goes for materials as well as talent.

To crack a tight labor market, companies are increasing compensation, offering more long-term incentives and benefits, and paying sign-on bonuses, even for entry level hires.

New methods for incentivizing candidates to join – and employees to stay

A Korn Ferry survey revealed that 75% of candidates say it’s unlikely they would accept a job if they were treated poorly during the interview process. So, if you want to secure the best people, you’re going to need to provide the best candidate care.

Candidate experience is everything

Organizations offering choices that match candidate expectations are likely to have a distinct hiring advantage over those that are not. There are also opportunities to widen the net further by making roles virtual.

Exploring all the possibilities of flexible working

Candidates have been shown to accept substantially lower pay offers if the offers come from companies with a strong brand and a focus on sustainability. Time to re-examine your employee value proposition and make sure it is as compelling and differentiating as possible and that you are living up to your promises.

Enhanced action on ESG

Facing a talent shortage means organizations will start to focus more on internal mobility, reskilling and upskilling existing employees to prevent attrition and fill niche roles.

Solving the shortage from the inside out

Inclusive hiring practices help you tap into a wider talent pool, making it easier to hire quality candidates quickly, even for niche or hard-to-source roles.

Inclusion is the name of the game

What can you do about the talent shortage?

Attraction and retention used to be a numbers game. 2022 calls for a much more human approach. Organizations should consider all the levers they have available to them for building and strengthening relationships with individual talent—from compensation, rewards, and benefits to learning and development, succession and DE&I.

What does this future of work trend mean?

Why are there so many unfulfilled jobs? 11 million in the US alone. It’s a huge issue with some big reasons behind it. Fast economic expansion. Projects delayed due to COVID-19. But there's also a skill mismatch. Jobs don't match the people. The bad news is as digital innovation accelerates; this record-breaking talent gap will only widen.

We surveyed nearly 700 professionals, and almost a third said they were thinking of leaving their job even though they didn’t have another one lined up. That’s how confident they are in their value. The talent shortage is so widespread it’s even got a name, The Great Resignation.

And it isn’t just people that are in short supply. Material shortages and supply chain bottle necks are causing major delays and growing costs.

We can’t be just in time anymore. That goes for materials as well as talent.

What is happening?

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #2

Scarcity

Surviving the talent shortage

Reinvention

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Inclusivity

Accountability

Download the full report for more on ways organizations will transform

5 ways to optimize personal energy and promote corporate health

Burnout blues – Korn Ferry survey shows stress levels skyrocketing

Could purpose be key to work wellness?

How purpose and well-being connect

Working with Purpose: Defining and clarifying your personal purpose

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

of professionals feel they are suffering from burnout and 81% say they are more burned out now than at the start of the pandemic

It's not just the human thing to do; it's the right thing to do. For people and organizations.

When Walgreens Boot Alliance CEO Roz Brewer announced a new company purpose, “More joyful lives through better health” she and other leaders shared her personal commitment for how they would live that purpose publicly and encouraged other team members to do the same.

What can you do about employee wellbeing?

Here are some of the top considerations of employees today along with examples of what organizations are doing to address these needs.

Career and purpose

A manufacturing organization offers its employees a purchasing program whereby they have the opportunity to buy merchandise (i.e. appliances, audio/visual equipment, etc.) on an installment / interest-free basis and through payroll deductions.

A luxury fashion brand retailer has employed a wellbeing consultant to help foster a healthier working environment. For some staff, they have introduced a healthier canteen menu and on-site exercise classes. For others, the emphasis has been persuading them to exercise less and eat more!

Financial

Physical

Remote working has made it difficult to create a social life at work. But it’s encouraged organizations to get creative. We’ve seen lots of examples from online channels for non-work banter to hosting virtual charity events.

One professional services firm offers its employees 6 days paid leave a year to volunteer for organizations that support the local community, while learning skills that will help them grow professionally.

Social

Many organizations are implementing development programs to strengthen the emotional intelligence of leaders, as well as building resilience and adaptability in individuals.

Mental & Emotional

To offset the negative impact of the pandemic on engagement and performance, organizations need to put employee wellbeing center stage and monitor and nurture it more seriously than ever.

Organizations that are leading the way in employee wellbeing embed it in all aspects of their people strategy. Research shows that this has a positive impact on retention, absenteeism levels, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

What does this future of work trend mean?

Employee wellbeing was important long before COVID-19. But it's now front and center of every organization's plans.

Companies face the economic burden of sickness and stress, both in medical expenses and lost productivity. And remote working has given employees a greater understanding and concern for their own wellbeing. They want companies to act more human. To have a greater purpose that speaks to connection and support.

Meet their expectations for flexible working, better healthcare, but most importantly, help them keep the personal energy they need to survive and thrive when times get tough. Because the flipside of vitality is burnout.

It's not just the human thing to do; it's the right thing to do. For people and organizations.

What is happening?

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #3

Vitality

Employee wellbeing takes center stage

Reinvention

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Inclusivity

Accountability

Download the full report for more on ways organizations will transform

5 factors to ensure a successful sustainability strategy

A people-powered solution to climate change

The 5 ESG and sustainability questions you need to answer

How boards can adapt to support ESG efforts

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

of companies have embedded purpose into their culture, and only 13% proactively campaign for issues related to their stated purpose.

Just

2022 needs decisive steps when it comes to ESG. You must turn talk, into walk.

Why are we doing this, who are we trying to satisfy, what is our time horizon, and how do we measure success?

For truly successful change, leaders need to rally around a unified purpose that is propelled and sustained by people across the organization.

The purpose question

The leadership and talent question

The culture and mindset question

The governance question

The operating model question

How do we attract, develop, and retain the leadership, talent, and skills needed to drive ESG strategy and outcomes?

How do we organize to deliver our ESG and sustainability strategy?

Most companies will need to change the way they operate to meet their goals. Employees will need to collaborate in different ways and perform more complex work.

How do we create the right culture and mindsets, engage our people, and reinforce the right behaviors?

Getting culture right is essential for any successful transformation—but especially with ESG. Few people are prepared to alter their attitudes and beliefs simply because senior management tells them to.

How does our board need to evolve to oversee, enable, and support delivery of our ESG strategy?

Real change starts at the top—and boards will have a critical role to play in providing education, oversight, monitoring and support for the organization’s ESG strategy.

What can you do for a sustainable future?

ESG and sustainability. It's more than nice to have. It's vital. Doing nothing may feel like you’re saving in the short term. But longer-term it will cost you big.

Investors. Partners. Customers. Employees. They’re all turning their backs on businesses that won't commit to building a sustainable future. And demand for companies to act will only grow in 2022.

We expect to see more and more organizations waking up to the reality that talk alone will not get them where they need to be. They need to commit to action, action that transforms. We need to change mindset and skillsets. Organizations must connect everyone behind a purpose they can be proud of. Otherwise, ESG and sustainability efforts will fall short.

2022 needs decisive steps when it comes to ESG. You must turn talk, into walk.

What is happening?

We think the time has come for a more people-focused approach to building a sustainable future. If you aren’t considering how your people are going to deliver your ESG strategy, your efforts are bound to fall short.

What does this future of work trend mean?

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #4

Sustainability

Walk the talk for a sustainable future

Reinvention

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Inclusivity

Accountability

Experience of a human kind

Reimagining Remote Work

Get well, soon

Young, isolated, and alone

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Go beyond superficial personas to build in-depth knowledge of employees

Build your managers’ capability to deliver

Reduce policy, process and bureaucracy to leave simple processes that afford flexibility

Consider personalization opportunities at each employee experience touchpoint

The success of a leader-centric system depends on the leaders’ capabilities to make good decisions. Guardrails and compliance checks are reduced.

Identify the talent segments based on values first, not demographics. Values may include things like career advancement, collaboration, purpose, and financial well-being.

From their online application to their development journey through the firm there are opportunities to personalize the employee experience at every stage of the talent lifecycle.

Many processes have been designed to be “idiot proof”. Consider instead designing processes with a fully achieving and motivated employee or manager at the center.

4 steps to individualizing the employee experience

6 ways organizations will reinvent in 2022

To attract, engage, retain and access the best talent, organizations will need to meet these changing demands by delivering consumer-grade employee experiences at work.

In the past, many organizations tried to personalize the employee experience by creating personas based on demographics. Young Engineering Grad. New Mom Returner etc. But career values and demographics are not one and the same.

By moving to a more individualized approach, organizations will be able to understand employees at a deeper level.

We predict that 2022 will be a year when more and more organizations will start individualizing the employee experience by:

• Shaping people solutions through user-led design • Developing internal offerings that mirror the external market • Bringing self-nomination to every talent step • Adopting persona-led analytics and solutions for learning, benefits etc. • Extending employee experience considerations to contingent workers

What does this future of work trend mean?

We can never go back to the way we used to work. The past two years changed everything.

Now we know we can work anywhere we're asking employers, "Why can't I?". We want a better work/life balance with less commuting. We want to come to the office to connect with our colleagues, collaborate, and feel energized. Not to sit alone at our desks.

We're asking the hard questions, questions that are difficult for companies to answer, such as "What does it matter how I do my job, as long as I do it.” We want greater control over our careers, our lives, our wellbeing.

To keep people happy, motivated, and in your business, you’ll have to start giving them the employee experience they’re after.

2022 is the year of the employee. They know what they want, but can you give it to them?

What is happening?

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #5

Individuality

Employee experiences are personal

Reinvention

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Inclusivity

Accountability

Download the full report for more on ways organizations will transform

Four-step guide to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

Asleep at the wheel: Why a singular focus on unconscious bias is driving DE&I off the road

Create a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy that works

How inclusive are you?

The reference man rules

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Only

Recruit and develop inclusive leaders at every level

Build DE&I into the fabric of the organization

Hold leaders accountable

Make DE&I part of how you innovate.

This means re-examining your structures, processes, policies and algorithms to remove systemic biases and ensure they work equitably for all. One way to do this is by applying the principles of “inclusive design”, which involves designing systems around the needs of the most under-represented user to make them better for everybody.

Inclusive leaders embrace the full diversity of today’s workforces and know how to create a safe space where people feel accepted and empowered to give their best. They are critical for enabling effective collaboration.

To boost collective intelligence and problem-solving, start deploying diverse-by-design teams, particularly in areas such as R&D, marketing, and customer services.

One of the most effective ways to integrate DE&I with talent management and business processes is to hold leaders accountable for it.

4 ways to move the DE&I dial in 2022

What can you do about inclusivity?

Companies have a lot to gain by becoming more “we” than “me”. Research shows that diverse and inclusive teams are better at solving complex problems, are more innovative and make better decisions 87% of the time.

But harnessing the collaborative power of diverse teams takes some doing.

Over the past year, we have seen many organizations return to the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) with renewed focus. But the actions they are taking are still very limited in scope and ambition.

Here’s what our latest research uncovered about organizations:

• 64% of organizations identify building diverse and inclusive teams as a key challenge. • Yet only 32% are purposely creating diverse and inclusive teams to drive performance. • And only 42% are developing their leaders to be inclusive.

What does this future of work trend mean?

To say these past 24 months have been immensely tough is an understatement. We've dealt with conflict, a global pandemic, inequality, irrational narratives, and people who put their interests above societies. But we have also seen incredible community spirit. Scientific communities came together. Neighbors helped each other, connecting even in the darkest of times. People took to the streets to be heard, to be seen.

Individualism has a place, but what we need now is to unlock the power of all. "Togetherness" and community don't just give us meaning. They give us results.

In 2022, we expect to see a rise in purpose-led organizations. Collaboration will be empowered no matter your background, experience, gender, or race. Organizations will need to address the issues of “invisible people and unheard voices” to unlock the true power and potential of all.

Get ready for the big shift—from “me” to “we”.

What is happening?

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #6

Inclusivity

Unleashing the power of all

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Inclusivity

Accountability

Reinvention

Approaching reward strategy holistically

Cultivating vitality for your people

How purpose drives ESG & Sustainability

Putting people at the center of your strategy

3

4

5

Download the full report for more on ways organizations will transform

Enterprise leadership: new leadership for a new world

5 steps to becoming a more radically human leader

Our metamorphosis

Can’t sleep? The latest on director accountability

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

What does a rise in transparency mean for organizations?

…we expect to see increased transparency. Organizations will be more willing to celebrate their achievements and publicly admit their mistakes.

A culture of accountability is nothing new. But what accountability means is changing. It’s not just about getting things done anymore—it’s also about how you do it.

Corporate accountability

…leaders will need to rethink what accountability means, as they adjust to new forms of remote and hybrid working and respond to the demands of leading more agile, fluid teams.

Leadership accountability

…employees will be given more opportunities to make their own decisions.

Individual accountability

What does this future of work trend mean?

Since the pandemic forced people home, you’ve asked it, or at least thought it, “are my people really working?”. Trust seems to be in short supply. According to a recent survey, 78 percent of firms are using software to measure employee productivity.

But accountability in the post-pandemic era is about a lot more than monitoring keystrokes. Flexible working is now a thing, so we need to accept that and build a culture to support it.

And it's not just the people on the floor. The C-Suite will have increased corporate accountability. They will need to hire and develop people from unrepresented groups. Pay equitably, take stands on social issues, and combat climate change. If they don't, the organization risks losing out on talent, customers and, dare we say it, profit.

Reconnecting will be at the heart of 2022. To purpose and each other.

What is happening?

FUTURE OF WORK TREND #7

Accountability

Trust or bust

Reinvention

Scarcity

Vitality

Sustainability

Individuality

Inclusivity

Accountability

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