Before March 2020, remote work was an idea many employers were unwilling to consider because they believed their workforce would be too easily distracted and that productivity would drop. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, most organizations were forced to quickly adopt remote work to continue running with a greater focus on serving customers through digital channels. Two years later, remote working is growing in popularity more than ever. Take a look at 7 trends shaping remote work in 2022.

1. Remote working gains mass adoption

The COVID-19 pandemic might be gone, but the effects are still with us, especially regarding how and where people work. Prior to 2020, remote work was considered a perk, but the lockdown made it a necessity for many companies as the percentage of remote positions rose exponentially over the course of a few months.

According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 54% of U.S. employees expect their employers to continue supporting remote work, while another report by Gallup indicated that 6 in 10 managers are open to allowing their employees to work remotely more frequently. Taking this data into consideration, remote work is expected to become a permanent fixture over the next few years.

2. Increased focus on employee wellbeing

Working remotely, especially from home, does have its advantages as it allows employees to make healthy meals and take some time from their work day to relieve stress. However, it also comes with new challenges that require solutions.

In addition to the need to maintain a good work-life balance, a considerable challenge is the issue of loneliness, which is becoming quite common among remote workers. If working from home was your first time working remotely, it can be hard to know how to manage to be alone for prolonged hours. Thus, it is unsurprising that mental health has taken center stage among remote workers. 

In 2022 and beyond, organizations of all sizes will pay more attention to the well-being of their workforce in the form of improved remote communication or hosting more employee events. Workers may also start looking for mental health support benefits when job hunting.

3. Freelance professionals rise with remote work

One of the opportunities the pandemic birthed was the creation of remote working opportunities, which saw many people get hired while working from home. As remote working soars in popularity, the workforce in different nations will gradually transition towards freelance specialists. Thus, organizations looking to assemble a remote team rely on freelance platforms to find the right talents.

Leveraging on the rise of remote work, freelance platforms are surging in growth and providing access to skilled remote talent. As these trends continue, more senior executives say they will rely on freelance professionals to carry out specialized work (thanks to its cost-savings benefit), while in-house teams will gradually shift to become generalists.

4. Cybersecurity becomes more critical than ever

The rise of remote work has created a lot of concerns about cybersecurity. The simple truth is that as long as we are online, we are at risk, but when a bulk of an organization’s operations are carried out online, the risks are significantly higher. In 2021 alone, businesses lost an average of $4.24 million due to data breach incidents – more than any other year.

While many organizations have managed to thwart these attacks before now, it’s a given that they will make a lot of investments to reinforce business security. Similarly, cybersecurity vendors will market remote work solutions and zero-trust cloud architecture. To strengthen their security, employers will also educate their employees on how to keep their work safe.

5. Rise of collaboration tools for teams

Many organizations have adopted a hybrid approach to assembling their workforce, comprising employees that work in the office and those that work remotely. To have an inclusive work culture, companies need to adhere to an effective communication strategy for their workforce. In addition, to maintain productivity levels on group projects, organizations need collaboration tools that let everyone feel involved no matter where they are located.

To keep wheels turning, many businesses might experiment with different collaboration tools to find the right software that gives employees instant access to ideas, projects, and each other, making work efficient for everyone. Likewise, many other collaboration tools will enter the market, offering improved features that appeal to distributed teams.

6. Webinars for everything

While remote work allows for collaboration, one of the challenges many new employees working remotely face is a lack of the requisite knowledge and skills they need to be productive. So far, webinars have been a lifesaver as they’re an effective way to share presentations, videos, and web pages with an online audience.

Webinars allow managers to provide remote support to employees working from home, making them a top remote work trend in 2022. Many organizations will rely on webinar tools that allow screen sharing, so everyone is on the same page. Users can watch screen-sharing videos that answer their questions so they won’t have to ask for help every step of the way.

7. Remote work expands globally

Twenty years ago, remote work was an impossible idea as there was no technology for it. Advancements in technology have made it possible for companies to hire highly-skilled talents remotely, but even more, there’s now a possibility of hiring remote workers across international borders. With the availability of various online services, such as creating contracts for business, many organizations are assembling global workforces, allowing them to access leading talents across the globe.

In 2022 and beyond, remote work will expand massively, especially since visa programs and travel restrictions are complicated. Employers will rely on experts in other countries to fill in positions where talents are unavailable locally. This will, in turn, lead other organizations to do likewise to remain competitive.

 Wrap-up

Times may be changing, but remote work is here to stay, especially since it is a big win for both employers and employees. Organizational workforces will become international and diverse. Consequently, companies will have to look for tools that promote collaboration and remote support. A sterling example is ShowMyPC, a solution that sports an array of features for remote work, collaboration, and remote support.