HYBRID WORK IS SO LAST YEAR: WHAT 2022 HAS IN STORE FOR WORKPLACE TRENDS

HYBRID WORK IS SO LAST YEAR: WHAT 2022 HAS IN STORE FOR WORKPLACE TRENDS

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1. TAKING THE OFFICE TO THE METAVERSE

While Mark Zuckerberg’s demo of the metaverse - a highly immersive virtual world that recreates opportunities for work, socialising, entertainment, and education - might have felt more like a video game, the metaverse is no gimmick!  As well as Meta, Microsoft Teams has already taken steps to incorporate mixed-reality 

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1. TAKING THE OFFICE TO THE METAVERSE

capabilities into its Microsoft Mesh offering. What’s more, our own research suggests that almost half (47%) of employees are keen for their work to adopt an office metaverse in the near future, with 54% optimistic that an office metaverse would boost hybrid work. Even if the metaverse is still in its infancy, more immersive virtual workspaces are going to 

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1. TAKING THE OFFICE TO THE METAVERSE

become more commonplace throughout 2022 as companies look to bridge the gap between in person and remote workers.  Whether that’s using avatars in meetings or investing in VR headsets, businesses will need to consider the technology they adopt to create more immersive experiences. A static Zoom image of your face just isn’t going to cut it for much longer.

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2. ASYNCHRONOUS WORK

In a hybrid workforce, companies will need to adopt asynchronous work tools that help people collaborate and increase productivity without employees being required to be in the same room.  Everything from pre-read agendas to tools like Notion and Loom can get people on the same page, without jamming their schedules with 

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2. ASYNCHRONOUS WORK

unnecessary meetings. This also means that it’s more important than ever for meetings to be as immersive and engaging as possible.

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3. CREATING COLLABORATIVE SPACES

Employees don’t want to come into the office to sit on Zoom calls all day, which they could do perfectly well from home.  Companies will need to rethink their office design to prioritise collaboration between in-office and remote team members and ensure all conference rooms are wired for video, and collaboration.

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3. CREATING COLLABORATIVE SPACES

Google’s ‘campfire’ meeting rooms are just one example where video displays and in person seating are set up in a semi-circle formation so all participants feel like they’re in the same environment.

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4. AVOIDING BURNOUT

As the Great Resignation shows no sign of waning, companies will need to prioritise employees’ wellbeing in order to retain and recruit employees. Leaders will have to get creative to stave off burnout and find new ways of maintaining balance to keep workers happy. Offering robust hybrid and remote work policies, flexible schedules with 

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4. AVOIDING BURNOUT

core hours, four-day work weeks, or benefits like sabbaticals will be vital in supporting employee wellbeing.

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5. MAKING HYBRID WORK, WORK FOR BUSINESSES

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant is once again making us rethink where we conduct business.  As a result, hybrid and remote work will remain an important long term focus for businesses. But rather than WFH just being a reaction to help stem the pandemic, hybrid work in 2022 will need an upgrade if businesses are to retain their top talent.

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5. MAKING HYBRID WORK, WORK FOR BUSINESSES

Companies will have to figure out which work policies work best for their business through trial and error.  Business leaders will need to experiment with how many days employees are required to be in-office (if at all), how flexible their schedules are, and who makes the decisions about when and where everyone works. Giving employees the 

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5. MAKING HYBRID WORK, WORK FOR BUSINESSES

autonomy to choose their own work pattern is going to be key moving into 2022.

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