From employee empathy to ESG: 5 workspace trends that will gain momentum in 2022

After the great reset of the workspace in the past two years of the coronavirus pandemic, the year 2022 is likely to witness five key trends, ranging from a renewed sense of employee empathy to adoption by employers of ESG (environmental, social and governance) efforts, which will transform into a business necessity from a nice-to-have idea.

While the life component of work-life balance will take precedence, the Gen Z workforce, the most at risk of getting lost in the shuffle of hybrid and remote environments, will crave for mentorship, according to the Workforce Institute at UKG, a global think tank on workspace research and education.

The institute says that as the world of work shifts from the great reset to great unknown, companies and employers will reflect on what has and hasn’t worked, and respect the unique boundaries and balance of life.

Here are the five workforce trends that will unfold in 2022 as envisaged in a report by the Workforce Institute:

1 Employee expectations vs employer capabilities 

As employees leverage the power of choice, employers need to be even more creative with the benefits and programmes they offer in order to win the war for talent.

Higher wages, schedule flexibility, hybrid working opportunities, competitive time-off plans and family-related leave and care benefits will be necessary to attract and engage office and frontline workers alike.

This means business leaders and human resource (HR) departments will need to have honest and transparent conversations about what they can feasibly afford to offer in order to meet—and ideally exceed—employee expectations.

2 Employee empathy—listen to your employees 

The importance of listening to employees and acting on their feedback will take centre stage, as business leaders and people managers work to grow engagement, respect personal and professional lives, and ultimately boost brand loyalty.

By establishing necessary support mechanisms, employers will be better poised to build a caring culture where people can enjoy meaningful work.

This means the life component of life-work balance will take precedence. Employers will foster a culture of compassion and respect to support employees through their uniquely challenging circumstances.

More than ever before, people leaders will value and enable the holistic health and wellbeing of the employee, including physical health, mental and emotional support, and financial wellness.

3 ESG an asset for business stability, growth 

People leaders and HR departments will use surveys, team newsletters, and other feedback channels to gauge internal alignment and perspectives on key focus areas. This will drive corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts of employers to evolve from a nice-to-have to business necessity.

In the face of global social activism, growing concerns around environmental impact, and fair and equitable business practices, corporate stakeholders—including employees, customers, and investors—will expect organisations to publicly set goals, track, and report on annual progress.

4 Manager training and leadership 

Strong, people-oriented managers who prioritise intentional leadership and the productivity and performance it brings will be an invaluable piece of the post-pandemic workplace puzzle.

Winning organisations will improve support systems for people managers, empower people-first decision-making skills, and find new ways to cultivate a manager experience built on trust, transparency and care. This emphasis on training and development must also extend beyond managers to the entire workforce, particularly entry-level workers.

Gen Z, the most at risk of getting lost in the shuffle of hybrid and remote environments, will crave mentorship programmes, skip-level meetings, and other opportunities to learn critical workplace lessons and career advice.

As part of this effort, people leaders will devote time and resources to connect with, educate, and engage the newest generation of workers.

5 Compliance curve 

Remote work. Minimum wage. Family leave. Vaccination mandates. Workers’ rights. Data protection. Artificial intelligence (AI) usage. The list of disparate rules and regulations for employers to know, track, and account for is ever-growing and constantly changing across the country and county lines.

Legislation will catch up with pandemic-driven organisational and business changes and the hybrid desires of workers, steepening the compliance curve around workforce practices and workplace regulations.

In 2022, employers across the globe must reconcile these international regulatory challenges to support the choices of their employees, meet continued customer demand, and ensure compliance throughout their organisation.

Unified and AI-powered workplace technology platforms will become a strategic priority for employers, particularly global corporate entities, looking to automate the process of compliance adherence.