[By Swati Tewari, Director at ShowMyPC]

How exciting is it to watch as the hybrid and remote access work models continue to revolutionize the workplace? New ideas about communication and team management are changing the work environment in many ways that benefit you by giving you more of the freedom to manage your personal life, family, and career balance.

As the repercussions of the pandemic still play out over the corporate and professional landscape, we are left wondering how 2022 will continue to change remote support jobs. Here are some of the trends we’re watching for this year.

1 - Personalization

The average US worker will spend upwards of 90,000 hours working in their lifetime. That is a considerable portion of our lives dedicated to completing tasks and projects for another company instead of our own goals or home. Even though many of us are emotionally fatigued from the virus, having a space that we can personalize in our homes makes these hours a lot easier to manage and increases productivity. That is why we can expect offices that do decide to stick with a hybrid model to allow more personalization, whether that be physical objects, sending furniture to remote workers, technology being used, or even the times of hours and meeting schedules employees use to finish their work, we will see more resources being thrown at hybrid team members.

2 - A Two-Tiered Workforce

Around 84% of HR leaders surveyed in a recent report by Kahoot said they will use collaboration and employee engagement technologies more over the next year. This is because they are worried that a new two-tiered workforce is developing where preferential treatment will be given to those that choose to return to in-person schedules compared to hybrid workers. To combat these fears, we can all expect to see a higher integration of everything from video conferences to virtual group meetups to better capabilities that let you access your PC from anywhere. The goal is to have all employees treated the same and receive bonuses or promotions based on performance more than anything else.

3 - Workers Market

One of the more surprising trends from 2021 that is only expected to get worse in 2022 is what has been dubbed The Great Resignation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts around 4 million Americans quitting their job in July of 2021. You can see how this trend continues slowly rising like in the above chart via Fortune. The fact is, employees have a lot of negotiating power when it comes to new job placement. So many businesses are in need of workers that they are starting to raise salaries, offer more benefits, and create lifestyle incentives to compete for the top talent including the ability to work remotely. The more workers can see their peers enjoying a comfortable living without having to deal with commutes and interoffice settings, the more businesses will continue to have to offer hybrid work models. 

4 - Cybersecurity is Going to Matter

The U.K. Government completed a recent report that confirmed 39% of businesses and 26% of charities experienced a cyberattack within the past year. There is definitely a loose correlation between more people engaged in remote access work and companies receiving everything from Trojan horse attacks to full ransomware incidents. 2022 is sure to be a year where employees, staff, and leadership are retrained and encouraged to learn about their role in protecting the company’s digital assets and the private information of their clients.

5 - Health and Well-Being Focus

This is a welcome trend that will continue into 2022. Workers are experiencing a happier lifestyle and work-life balance. Being remote allows you to access PC from anywhere and to complete projects and then shut them down as you toss on sneakers and head to the park for a bit. People are so satisfied with this new hybrid model that a recent FlexJobs study found 58% of respondents surveyed would look for a new job if their current one forced them to return to the office. While remote support jobs may not be the best solution for everyone, it is a trend that will continue into 2022 and well beyond because of so many happy workers embracing the change.

6 - Employee Feedback

In order to maintain a solid company culture and grow an organization in a hybrid environment, leaders and managers are going to seek more employee feedback. Most workers feel their voices are not heard by upper management, which is a serious problem when retention is key during our current fluctuating working situation. Employers cannot afford to keep hemorrhaging workers, especially when the costs and lost productivity threaten to seriously damage their bottom lines as they search for a qualified replacement. That means we are all going to experience more value being placed on our opinions, inputs, and needs in 2022.

Conclusion

The fact is, the world has changed. Whether because of the pandemic or simply as an aftershock of new generations valuing a balanced lifestyle more than a paycheck is yet to be seen. Either way, the hybrid work model is here to stay, requiring more remote access and support to maintain productivity levels.

If a company wants to succeed in 2022, it will need to provide quality training, flexible schedules, and remote support to its workers that increase communication and feedback. That way, they can maintain their productivity levels and grow as we all adapt to this changing business environment.