Workforce Trends to Watch in 2022

After such a tumultuous year, there are some top workforce trends that we think will only accelerate in 2022. COVID has changed a lot of things about the way we live and work; it’s also accelerated trends that may have taken decades to evolve. In many ways, we’ve seen 25 years of change in just two years. Now, the need for flexibility and meeting worker demands has taken center stage.    

“Work-From-Anywhere” will become the norm

The pandemic has shown businesses that their workers don’t all need to be in the same place at the same time in order to get the job done. Not only are they working from home, now they are working from just about anywhere. Even large companies like Spotify and Salesforce have announced that they’re adapting a work from anywhere policy, even after the end of COVID restrictions.

This means that in the not-so-distant future, some employees could work from an office, some from home, and some from wherever they want. When this work-from-anywhere culture becomes more permanent, companies need to think through how they assign work and oversee this new type of workforce.

The rise of Permalancers

What, exactly, is a Permalancer? Unlike traditional freelancing, they have ongoing contracts rather than piecemeal work and function for companies in more like a consultant role while still maintaining flexibility. And there will be a lot more of them in the year ahead. The popularity of Permalancing isn’t a surprise considering the shifts we’ve experienced in the way we work. More and more workers want the opportunity to work flexibly and be their own boss while choosing their own hours and locations. Permalancing gives them this flexible arrangement with a bit more stability and steady work than freelancing or gig work.

By incorporating Permalancers into their workforce, businesses can rely on a talented professional who is experienced in their field to work on projects exactly when and where they are needed. Keeping their workforce flexible means they can scale up when they need it and know they have a pre-vetted freelancer who has the exact skills they need.

Technology will be the link

So, how should companies prepare for this shift in the way we all work? To start, businesses need to rethink what being an employee truly means. What are the systems that they will need to accommodate flexible work schedules?  

The answer lies in technology. It already connects us through Zoom for virtual meetings, Slack for quick communications, and project organization and productivity tools like Monday.com or Basecamp.

Moving forward, businesses will need systems to handle more complex, constantly shifting employment environments. Managing projects and payroll manually for this new type of workforce is inefficient and cumbersome and definitely won’t allow for flexibility. Partnering with a management and payment platform built specifically for freelancers offers one system to set up a business for success. 

Ready to learn more about how AllWork can help you classify, onboard, manage, and pay your freelancers? Schedule a demo of our platform here.