10 Remote Working Trends in 2022

This last year has seen a lot of changes. While every area of our personal existence changed dramatically, the professional world also changed dramatically. One of these emerging trends is remote work. According to a recent Upwork poll 26 percent of Americans are now working remotely. This is a considerable improvement over 2018 when only 7% of civilian employees in the United States had the option of working from home.

This year will be the year of major remote work shifts, with work-from-home rules across firms and sectors changing dramatically. Twitter, Shopify, and Dropbox have already indicated that they would transition to permanent work-from-home arrangements, while Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that 50% of the company's workers will be able to work remotely over the next five to ten years.

Let's take a look at the top 10 remote working trends for 2022,

1. Hybrid Models are Taking the Lead

A mix of remote and onsite employment will become the standard. Many employees currently find commuting difficult, and more may begin to avoid it totally in order to be more productive and flexible in their work schedules. Others, on the other hand, want to return to their jobs, citing improved peer relationships and face-to-face problem solving as reasons. As a result, many businesses will begin to use a hybrid approach.

2. Conferencing Calls Have Been Reduced

As they increase their remote work capabilities to facilitate worldwide meetings, companies are now spending 20% of their meeting room expenses on collaborative conference call solutions. However, as more individuals become accustomed to working from home, the intrusiveness of video conferencing conversations begins to emerge. During the pandemic, many firms discovered that using conference calls to compensate for the absence of "person connection" might actually lower team productivity, especially when most workers spend all of their time on calls. Expect more individuals to avoid conference calls in 2022 and focus on the task at hand.

3. A Growing Dependence On Asynchronous Communication

Over the years, firms that have handled remote working well have discovered the benefits of asynchronous communication, which allows scattered groups to communicate more effectively. Async communication enables team members to operate across time zones, giving them more flexibility over their workflow. Less stress and enhanced time-zone equality can be achieved via better-planned communication.

4. Increased Use of Cloud-Based HR Software

Companies will adopt cloud-based HR tools in droves as they attempt to deliver a seamless experience for all of their remote workers, keeping them engaged and productive. According to an Igital Thoughts survey, 90% of workers believe that working remotely improves their morale. It's critical that HR technology evolves to meet their needs. Virtual hiring, staff onboarding, and employee learning will all be built-in to new post-pandemic HR solutions.

5. A Growing Appreciation For Time Off

One of the biggest consequences of the epidemic was the loss of control over people's work-life balance. According to a recent Kentik poll, 51% of employees are concerned about their work-life balance. Employers must recognise these truths and establish clear rules and guidelines for avoiding calls after hours or demands that require rapid attention. As individuals settle into their remote job responsibilities in 2022,  anticipate to see app restrictions and end-of-day emails becoming more widespread.

6. Improving Cybersecurity

Organizations will be much more concerned about cybersecurity. 82 percent of employers believe "cybersecurity is now highly critical or more significant than before COVID-19," according to Cisco's "Future of Secure Remote Work Report." Concerns about how data is accessed remotely and how safe it might be are rising. Significant additional expenditures in cybersecurity IT systems and infrastructure are expected.

7. More savings due to reduced office space

The requirement for large physical office premises will be obsolete in the near future. Companies with no headquarters or organisational offices will become a reality. Many businesses may devise a strategy that includes designated days for meetings and cooperation, as well as days for remote work.

8. Adapting Performance Evaluations

Performance management has altered dramatically as a result of remote working. Companies are increasingly emphasising the quality of work performed rather than the number of hours worked. Companies have started to train their managers on how to support remote teams today, and this number is expected to rise as performance standards shift. As a result, many businesses are adopting a fluid performance management approach in which evaluations are conducted on a regular basis rather than once a year.

9. Work Hours That Are More Flexible

Despite the fact that organisations are working remotely, the work schedule has not changed. Employees may find this constraining, as many must balance household responsibilities while caring for their children. As a result, more organisations will begin to evaluate whether regular work hours are truly necessary, and some may begin to offer flexibility to their employees as long as the task is completed.

10. Retraining and reskilling are in more demand

The epidemic has increased skills gaps, and the rise in work automation has fueled need for retraining and skill-upping. According to a new Gartner survey, just 16% of new employees employed today have the necessary abilities for the position. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, cybersecurity, healthcare IT, and UX design, will be the most in-demand talents in 2022.

In 2020, remote working crossed a tipping point, and it is now the norm all around the world. With all the negativity around the pandemic, this difficult switch has been received positively overall, and many companies and technologies can help businesses make this transition smoothly.