With the Omicron threat looming around the world, we have entered the third year of the pandemic which is yet again set to shake the workplace settings that were on the track of getting back to normal. For the companies planning to start work-from-office, the time has again taken a turn and they will have to face the struggle in retaining and attracting talent in unprecedented times. Amid the changing scenario, technology is one thing that has been constant in facilitating the smooth functioning of businesses. Let’s have a look at the workplace technology trends that will keep the businesses going in the current uncertain working environment.
Flexible/Hybrid Workplace
In 2019, the organizations were suddenly forced to move to remote working and as things normalized after the first wave, companies started considering blended workplaces as a permanent setup. The second wave only heightened the trust in the hybrid setting and now the third wave of the pandemic has ensured that the flexible workplaces are here to stay.
Working from home for over many months now, employees now want the best of both worlds according to Microsoft 2021 Work Trend Index. The survey shows a mix of demands from employees where 70% want flexible remote work options to continue, and 65% want in-person time with their teams. In order to prepare for the mixed trend, 66% of business decision-makers are considering redesigning physical spaces to better accommodate hybrid work environments. So workplace modernization and reimagined workflows will gain momentum in 2022 for hybrid work optimization.
Image Source: Microsoft 2021 Work Trend Index.
Technology Adoption For Security
Of many challenges that organizations face in the ongoing hybrid work setups, physical and cyber security rank among the top of the concerns. 83% of respondents of “The Impact of Technology in 2022 and Beyond: an IEEE Global Study” viewed cybersecurity as a challenge and 73% of them find managing health and safety protocols as the main concern. While cybersecurity tops the list of issues, physical health and COVID-19 protocols add to the challenge organizations face today. To ensure cyber and physical security at workplaces, organizations are now considering various tools and technologies for mitigating security risks and have continuous surveillance for preventing any potential threats.
Workplace Collaboration Tools & Technologies
According to Gartner, Inc. Digital Worker Experience Survey, there has been a 44% increase in the use of collaboration tools since the pandemic. The survey reveals an increase in uptake of these tools from 50% in 2019 to 80% in 2021.
Image Source: Gartner
A recent survey by IEEE reported that 97% of technology leaders believe that their team is now working more closely with their HR managers than ever before. To foster this collaboration, workplace technologies and tools that facilitate check-in, adherence to COVID- related protocols, space usage data and analytics, and holistic health & well-being will become all the more important in 2022.
Workplace Automation
Forbes industry experts put workplace automation among the dominant tech trends of 2022. To cater to the labour shortage and optimize staff, organizations will adopt emerging technologies like AI, automation, and IoT, AI to fill the existing gap. Self-serve kiosks, AI-enabled drive-thrus, autonomous order fulfilment, etc will see a rise in order to free the highly skilled workforce for better-suited work that needs human intelligence. The automation trend is validated by a Mckinsey report that says that 50% of user touches will be augmented by AI-driven speech, written word, or computer-vision algorithms.
Technology Infrastructure Partnership
2022 will be the year when companies will move to a technology infrastructure partnership model instead of being completely in-house as the model offers greater flexibility, option for scalability at optimum cost. Having a technology partner will take away the stress of updates and maintenance and offer a shared platform available for the distributed workforce. Besides taking care of IT the partnership will also take care of the audit and compliance as they would have a real-time trail of data and reports.
If you are planning to convert your office into a leading-edge hybrid workplace, team nhance can help you plan the right strategy and offer the best of technology & solutions to make sure your workforce enjoys working irrespective of their physical location. To partner with us, contact us at nhance.ai.
