In the two years since the sudden start to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic no industry has been left unscathed as business leaders have had to navigate a tumultuous economic and social climate unlike anything witnessed since World War II.
“The pandemic-inflicted leadership challenges in 2020-21 forced organizations to take extraordinary measures in real time, with zero planning. Things changed drastically and dramatically, leaving no industry across the world unaffected,” writes Forbes Council Member Kiran Mann.
“Expect the Unexpected” is likely carved on most business leaders’ desks by now.
As they prepare to meet the challenges of 2022 and beyond, here is what they need to be prepared for:
Prior to the pandemic the idea of digital transformation was being embraced by many businesses, but overnight it became apparent that it was no longer a choice to transform but a matter of survival.
“While most companies had extensive digitalization plans spread across several years, the outbreak compelled businesses to compress those processes into a few months,” wrote Mann.
Long-range planning was crumpled and thrown in the waste bin as businesses compressed several years of digital transformation almost overnight as much of the population moved to working, shopping, socializing, and playing online.
Those 70 percent of companies that had a digital transformation strategy in place or were working on a plan had a leg up on competitors when the pandemic struck.
While the mantra might have been “new digital solutions take time”, businesses now embrace rapid employment of digital tools.
Eweek says that digital transformations being undertaken in 2022:
Employee engagement took on new importance during the pandemic as workers relied on their employers to keep them connected and supported.
And, unfortunately, many employees found those steering their companies lacking with a survey early in the pandemic finding only 32 percent of U.S. employees believing their organization had trusted leaders and managers to navigate the crisis.
That survey by Eagle Hill Consulting found that:
“Now more than ever, employees should feel connected to their companies' overall purpose, mission and values and clearly understand the impact of their contributions on the growth and recovery of their organization,” wrote Mann.
Companies are focusing on the following employee engagement trends in 2022, according to Human Resources Today:
As CNBC reported in early May, “The Great Resignation” which started during the pandemic is still red hot with a record 4.5 million workers quitting their jobs in March.
“Voluntary separations are elevated as workers are enticed by ample choice and better pay elsewhere,” said CNBC. “There were 11.5 million job openings at the end of March, breaking December’s record of more than 11.4 million openings, according to the Labor Department. Job openings reflect business’ demand for workers.”
To compete in this historically tight labor market, companies need to prioritize development and retention of their employees.
“Most of the reasons responsible for record-breaking resignations, like upgrading to a better pay package or reevaluating work-life priorities, in many ways, stem from an organization’s inability to develop and retain talent,” wrote Mann.
If companies can develop strategies such as “stay interviews” they can prevent workers from leaving, especially those that ultimately regret their decision to part ways with their current employer.
It is very hard to put the genie back in the bottle and with employees enjoying work-from-home, hybrid, and other flexible work experiences, they now expect those options going forward.
“Be it working from the office, remotely or a hybrid model, there is no denying the fact that companies should now offer more flexibility to employees. And the flexibility is not just about when or where the employees work. It is also about what kind of work they are required to do when they are in the office and at home,” wrote Mann.
In other words, the days of employees suffering through soul-crushing commutes to answer email and do other cloud-based activities that do not require in-office interaction are over.
According to the OC Tanner Institute’s 2022 Global Culture Report, collaborative tasks or tasks that require a lot of communication and connection are better managed from the office, while tasks that involve creative thinking or focus can be easily done from home.
Kathleen Hogan, Chief People Officer at Microsoft, is quoted in the report saying, “flexibility can mean different things to each of us, and we recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements, and business needs we have.”
The goal for businesses in 2022 and beyond is to create the best strategies to maximize employee roles, preferences, and experiences to create a better workplace culture that will ultimately lead to greater productivity.