What the Workplace Will Look Like in 2022? 3 Continuing Trends and How We Can Help Along the Way

2022 is here, and with it comes continued trends for the workplace. Since the start of the pandemic almost two years ago businesses have been adapting to the challenges that developed as a result. An article released by MIT Sloan Management Review suggests that over 55% of those asked believe COVID-19 has permanently changed how companies should think about business strategy

Now that COVID-19 has transitioned through many phases, employers are displaying great flexibility and adaptability.  The top three trends that can be seen across several industries are the continued remote work option, the growth of the contractor workforce, and collaborative intelligence for improving processes and increasing efficiencies.  All three of these trends are continuing to take shape, shifting the landscape of business practices.  While they all present a strong presence individually, they are intertwined and not mutually exclusive of one another. As businesses stretch their boundaries beyond their own organizational borders, they are realizing the benefit of an agile and robust team from outside their organization too.  

Trend 1: The remote work option

Initially, when the pandemic began, there were so many unknowns. Depending on the industry determined how businesses could operate. It was soon learned that no matter what industry, in order to weather the storm, businesses needed to pivot to succeed. For those industries fortunate enough to lean into technology, accommodations to support remote working conditions occurred. Businesses started to prepare to accommodate for remote working and define what that meant for their workforce. An article posted on the SHRM website said, “As employers first sent people home in reaction to the spread of the coronavirus in February and March, many faced challenges with getting employees the equipment they needed and optimizing their VPN networks to ensure connectivity. ‘Once these issues were resolved, it was smooth sailing for many.’”

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As businesses have shifted to remote work options, many of the logistical challenges that were once thought to be a barrier to a remote workforce have been overcome. Because of the necessity to work from home, businesses created innovative ways to create a safe environment during a time of uncertainty.  When restrictions started to lift and it was deemed safe to be in larger groups, the workforce now could choose between working in-person or remotely instead of being forced into a decision. The same SHRM article stated, “Looking ahead, 83 percent of respondents said that even after the health crisis has passed, they plan to put more flexible work policies in place, such as allowing more people to work from home or letting them adjust their schedules.”   

If working remotely proved anything, it’s that there is no longer a stigma or assumption that employees cannot be productive, contributing members of an organization when away from the office. This mindset shift merges with the next trend:  the rise of the contractor workforce. When businesses realize that substantial work can be accomplished outside the office, hiring from outside the organizational boundaries becomes a common theme, too.

Trend 2: The rise of the contractor workforce 

Organizations are shifting to a flexible structure that enables a swift response to change and incorporates freelance workers and remote employees as part of the organizational structure. 

project scope - project milestones

The COVID-19 crisis has challenged the traditional hierarchical organization where each role and function are specific and structured. As adaptation is a necessity, employees are performing functions outside their job descriptions and location. A Boston Consulting Group article says, “In 2021, almost half of all the companies we surveyed will outsource more work than they will do internally.” Successful businesses look at the tasks they can perform well, and at a reasonable cost, and look to hire outside of their organization for those tasks that make financial and strategic sense. Outsourcing defined functions and projects offer more flexibility and profitability.  

Outsourcing is a great way to strengthen your in-house team with external support. As we have experienced the pandemic together globally, we will continue to lean into the global workforce to help strengthen our position and offerings.

ProsperSpark has written about this subject many times. A recent article titled, “When does outsourcing make sense?” outlines the process for identifying when the benefits from hiring outside your organization offer a positive impact. The three scenarios that were previously outlined include when your task list has grown significantly, when you can’t seem to get ahead or focus on your strengths, and when your business is suffering from inaction. Those are all solid baseline starting points, but additional considerations since the pandemic include when you need expertise outside of your current core competencies, when your company may be facing employee shortages, or when your company has the need to hire but cannot sustain the expenses that new employees bring. 

Any economic article talking about recent employment rates will emphasize the worker shortage crises that America is facing after the brunt of the pandemic. Employment rates were affected significantly when COVID-19 unfolded, but since then, employers are struggling to find the workforce to fill the gaps across all industries. Utilizing consultant agencies to hire contractors can be a short-term band-aid or a long-term solution depending on the needs and employment trends. As businesses venture out trying new avenues of securing the talent they need, their experiences will be predictive of how the trends will develop.  

Trend 3: Increased collaborative intelligence in the workplace

Collaborative intelligence will combine aptitude, and system efficiencies to boost productivity. 

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Business leaders are harnessing the power of technology, such as process automation, to become more efficient and sustainable. In this increased world of collaboration, businesses can assign machine intelligence to assist employees with costly, time-consuming, and repetitive tasks to maximize efficiency. While the idea of utilizing technology sounds robust and complicated, it can range from very minuscule tasks to ones that have significant functionality. 

Pairing the previous trend of outsourcing with the trend of collaboration, an article posted by Deloitte explains it perfectly. “Not only due to COVID-19, but businesses today are also facing a rapidly evolving landscape, including regulatory changes, continuous advances in technology, and the adoption of more sophisticated approaches by authorities. These challenges are causing businesses to rethink the appropriate mix of in-house and external resources in efficiently managing essential operational processes with visibility, flexibility, transparency, and control.”

Identifying processes to be automated or improved is a necessary step to see a gained ROI. Being able to assign a cost value to a process will emphasize the value of automation. Something as simple as a process cost calculator can be used to calculate how much money and time is spent on performing repetitive tasks. Considering the hourly wage for the employee, how long a process takes, and how many times the employee performs the task will provide the expense of the task. As an example, if an employee makes $25 an hour, and performs one task every day that takes 15 minutes, an employer pays that employee $6 a day to perform that task. That doesn’t seem like too much, but when considered monthly, that cost is now $135. When looking at the big picture and calculating it annually, the simple $6/day task costs $1,625 annually. Imagine what the overall costs to a company may be if the pay were greater, the amount of time to do a repetitive task was longer, or the frequency was more.  

At ProsperSpark, we’ve had the privilege of helping customers most recently with process improvement requests. The tasks that take just a few minutes out of a worker’s day adds up. Our consultants have assisted with various projects such as automating a timesheet for tracking employees’ pay and time, creating a sales tax report that automatically references a specific zip code to identify the city, county, and state taxes, and building templates to populate quotes for the sales force to utilize when building custom pricing details. Regardless of what type of consultant service you consider, making sure you have a clear idea of the financial impact for processes that could be automated allows for a better-informed decision. Understanding what process to improve and how much that translates to in dollars can make the decision to automate very clear. 

If you are thinking about outsourcing or want to learn more, this article provides a step-by-step guide on selecting and outsourcing to an external expert consultant. 

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Conclusion 

What does the workplace look like in 2022? The past few years are paving the way for what we can expect to see more of in 2022 and beyond. The ability to maneuver within the constraints given is essential to any business’s success.  

The workplace continues to evolve. With the workforce proving that working remotely is a solid and viable option during times of turbulence, telecommuting is becoming more standardized and acceptable even when the option to return to work in-person is feasible.  

As businesses have learned to function in a leaner and more agile manner, being able to utilize outside expertise is crucial. The benefits of hiring contractor employees allow for maneuvering through unknowns that cannot be foreseen. Having the expertise to strengthen your organization while not having to fully employ them is a win-win for the workforce.  

Continual assessment of improving efficiencies and having a critical eye on how things are done will help improve any business’s bottom line. By evaluating current processes, focusing on the strategy, striving for improvement, the tasks that may seem minor in the grand scheme of the day can add up to major costs when calculated on an annual basis. Performing cost-benefit analysis to truly see how automation and collaboration can reduce waste is a trend that will continue to be a common theme.

The trends that are taking shape today will be the foundation that businesses are built on in the future.  As companies continually adjust their practices to remain competitive and profitable, we will see innovative and nontraditional solutions constantly evolve. 

Enhance Team Coordination with a Shared Calendar

Airtable’s built-in calendar goes beyond a simple scheduling tool. It transforms into a powerful hub for task management within your team. Project managers can create timelines, assign deadlines, and set reminders within the calendar view. Team members can access this centralized calendar to view upcoming tasks, track project progress, and collaborate seamlessly. This eliminates the need for multiple calendars and ensures everyone is on the same page, fostering efficient project execution.

Real-World Examples:

  • Marketing Team Campaign Management: Create a shared calendar to visualize brainstorming sessions, content creation deadlines, social media posting schedules, and campaign launch dates. This keeps everyone aligned and ensures a smooth marketing rollout.
  • Sales Team Activity Tracking: Use the calendar to track sales calls, client meetings, and follow-up deadlines. This allows managers to monitor individual and team performance, identify potential roadblocks, and provide timely support.

  • Product Development Team Sprint Planning: Block out dedicated times for user interviews, design sprints, development cycles, and testing phases on the shared calendar. This transparency ensures everyone involved knows what’s happening at each stage and fosters collaboration.

  • Customer Support Team Shift Scheduling: Create a visual schedule for customer support representatives, including breaks, training sessions, and planned maintenance windows. This ensures adequate coverage during peak hours and avoids customer service disruptions.

  • Content Creation Team Editorial Calendar: Manage a shared calendar for brainstorming sessions, content assignment deadlines, editing and revision cycles, and publication dates. This keeps the content creation process organized and on track.

Simplify Resource Management with Custom Spreadsheets

Airtable’s true strength lies in its ability to transform traditional spreadsheets into dynamic tools for resource management. Gone are the days of static data! Airtable spreadsheets can be customized with various field types, including formulas and automation. Teams can track project budgets, allocate resources efficiently, and monitor project timelines, all within a single, adaptable workspace. This level of customization empowers teams to manage resources effectively and identify potential roadblocks before they arise.

Real-World Examples:

  • Project Budget Tracking: Craft a custom spreadsheet to track project expenses, categorize costs, and compare them to allocated budgets. This allows for real-time financial health monitoring and facilitates informed resource allocation decisions.

  • Team Member Capacity Planning: Design a spreadsheet to visualize team member workloads, including deadlines, project assignments, and estimated time commitments. This helps identify potential bottlenecks, distribute tasks efficiently, and avoid overallocation of resources.

  • Inventory Management: Create a custom spreadsheet to track inventory levels, reorder points, and supplier information. This ensures you have the necessary resources in stock when needed and avoids stockouts or excessive storage costs.

  • Client Project Profitability Analysis: Develop a spreadsheet to track project costs, billable hours, and client fees. This facilitates profitability analysis for individual projects and helps identify areas for improvement in resource allocation for future client engagements.

  • Scenario Planning and Resource Forecasting: Build a custom spreadsheet to model different project scenarios and their resource requirements. This allows you to anticipate potential resource needs, plan for contingencies, and make data-driven decisions about resource allocation.

Boost Productivity through Automation

Airtable automates repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time for your team to focus on high-impact activities. Imagine automatically sending task reminders, assigning new projects based on workload, or generating reports based on predefined criteria. Airtable’s robust automation features allow you to streamline workflows and eliminate manual data entry, boosting overall team productivity.

Real-World Examples:

  • Automated Task Management: Automatically create tasks in a to-do list when a new record is added to a specific Airtable base. This eliminates manual data entry and streamlines your workflow.

  • Email Reminders and Notifications: Automate sending email reminders or notifications based on deadlines or specific field changes in your Airtable base. This ensures you and your team stay on top of important tasks and upcoming events.

  • Data Pre-Population and Field Updates: Use automation to pre-populate fields with default values or automatically update related fields based on user selections. This reduces manual data entry errors and saves time.

  • Data Aggregation and Reporting: Automate the process of collecting and summarizing data from different Airtable bases into a single report. This saves time on manual data manipulation and provides a consolidated view of key metrics.

  • Content Approval Workflows: Create automated workflows that route content for review and approval based on pre-defined criteria. This streamlines the content creation process and ensures timely feedback and approvals.

Keep Projects Aligned with Real-Time Updates

Airtable Sync ensures your teams are constantly working with the latest information. This innovative feature lets you link projects across different bases, enabling real-time updates. No more refreshing pages or chasing down the newest document version – Airtable Sync keeps everyone in the loop, fostering smoother collaboration and faster project completion.

Real-World Examples:

  • Centralized Project Hub: Consolidate all project-related information in a single Airtable base, including tasks, deadlines, files, and discussions. With real-time updates, everyone can access the latest project information, fostering transparency and alignment.
  • Dynamic Dashboards and Reporting: Develop dashboards that automatically update with the latest Airtable data. This provides a real-time view of project progress, metrics, and potential roadblocks, allowing for data-driven decision-making and course correction.

  • Automated Dependency Management: Set up automations to track dependencies between tasks within your Airtable base. When a dependent task is completed, the automation can trigger updates or notifications for subsequent tasks, ensuring a smooth workflow and everyone stays on the same page.

  • Streamlined Communication and Feedback: Leverage Airtable’s commenting features to provide real-time feedback directly on tasks, files, or project updates within the platform. This eliminates the need for separate communication channels and ensures all project conversations are documented and centralized.

  • Collaborative Brainstorming and Planning: Use Airtable as a collaborative workspace where team members can brainstorm ideas, add notes, and update plans in real time. This fosters a dynamic and interactive environment where everyone can contribute and see the project evolve continuously.

Organize Workspaces by Linking Records

Airtable goes beyond simple data storage, allowing users to create relationships between records. Imagine linking customer information to related sales orders or connecting project tasks to their corresponding deadlines. This functionality fosters organization within your workspace, making tracking dependencies and visualizing project flow easier. Additionally, Airtable offers pre-built templates with pre-defined relationships, saving you time and ensuring a well-structured workspace from the outset.

Real-World Examples:

  • Content Management System: Create a system where content ideas in a brainstorming base are linked to corresponding production stages in a separate base. This allows you to track the progress of content pieces seamlessly across the entire creation process.

  • Sales Pipeline Management: Link opportunities in your sales pipeline to relevant customer information in a separate CRM base. This provides a holistic view of each prospect and streamlines the sales process.

  • Bug Tracking and Development Workflow: Link bug reports to corresponding tasks assigned to developers. This allows developers to easily access all relevant information for each bug fix and track the progress of their work.

  • Event Planning and Vendor Management: Link event details to specific vendors involved in the planning. This keeps track of all associated vendors, their services, and any communication threads related to each event.

  • Research Project Management: Link research topics to relevant source materials, such as articles or data sets. This allows researchers to easily access and reference the sources used for each aspect of their project.

Flexible Task Scheduling Options to Suit Any Project

Not all projects require the same management style. Airtable caters to this by offering a variety of task-scheduling options. Choose from list views for a simple overview, Kanban boards for visualizing workflow stages, Gantt charts for tracking project timelines, or gallery views for showcasing creative assets. This flexibility allows teams to select the view best suits their project management style and needs.

Real-World Example:

  • Agile Development Sprints: Airtable’s flexible scheduling allows you to define sprints (iterations) within your project base. Tasks can be assigned due dates within each sprint, enabling agile development teams to manage short work cycles and adapt to changing priorities.

  • Freelancer Project Management: Assign tasks with flexible deadlines based on freelancer availability and project milestones. This approach caters to the dynamic nature of freelance work, ensuring clear expectations while accommodating individual schedules.

  • Content Marketing Calendar: Schedule blog posts, social media content, and other marketing materials with specific publish times or deadlines. Airtable’s flexibility accommodates recurring tasks and seasonal content, ensuring a consistent and well-paced marketing strategy.

  • Event Planning with Staggered Deadlines: Manage complex event logistics with tasks due at various stages leading up to the event date. This could include tasks for venue booking months in advance and social media promotion closer to the event.

  • Long-Term Project Roadmaps: Airtable’s flexible scheduling isn’t limited to short-term tasks. Outline major project milestones and phases with tentative due dates, providing a high-level roadmap that can adapt as the project progresses.

Centralized Documentation for Easy Collaboration

Airtable isn’t just for data – it can also house all your project-related documents, images, videos, and files. This eliminates the need for scattered folders and email attachments, centralizing everything in one easily accessible location. Team members can collaborate on documents in real time, add comments, and ensure everyone has the latest version readily available. This fosters a culture of transparency and streamlines communication within your team.

Real-World Examples:

  • Single Source of Truth: Consolidate all project-related documents, such as meeting notes, design specifications, and user manuals, within a dedicated Airtable base. This ensures everyone can access the latest and most accurate information, eliminating confusion and wasted time searching for scattered documents.

  • Version Control and Revision History: Airtable tracks changes to documents stored within bases. This allows teams to collaborate on documents in real-time, see revision history, and revert to previous versions if necessary. This fosters transparency and prevents accidental overwrites.

  • Inline Collaboration and Feedback: Airtable facilitates document collaboration directly within the platform. Team members can add comments, suggestions, and questions on specific sections of documents, streamlining feedback exchange and eliminating the need for separate communication channels.

  • Conditional Content Visibility: Leverage Airtable’s view functionality to control document visibility based on user roles or project phases. This ensures team members only see the information relevant to their tasks, reducing information overload and maintaining a focused workspace.

  • Centralized Knowledge Base Creation: Develop a comprehensive knowledge base within Airtable to store best practices, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides. This centralized repository empowers team members to find answers independently, reducing the need for repetitive questions and promoting knowledge sharing across the organization.

Expand Functionality with Custom Apps

Airtable’s open API unlocks a whole new level of customization. Developers can leverage this API to create custom applications that fit your business needs perfectly. Imagine integrating your CRM system with Airtable for seamless customer data flow or connecting your project management tool for a unified workflow. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to tailor Airtable to your unique business processes and maximize its functionality for your team.

Real-World Examples:

  • Advanced Data Integration: Airtable offers robust built-in integrations, but the Open API allows for even deeper connections. Imagine a custom app that pulls real-time weather data from an external API and integrates it with your project timelines in Airtable. This could be crucial for construction projects where weather can significantly impact scheduling.

  • Customizable Workflows and Automations: While Airtable automations are powerful, they might not handle every complex scenario. The API allows you to build custom apps that trigger multi-step workflows based on specific events in your Airtable base. This could involve sending automated notifications to multiple channels or initiating external actions upon data changes.

  • Machine Learning and AI Integration: The API allows you to incorporate machine learning or AI functionalities into your Airtable workflows. Imagine a custom app that analyzes customer support data in your Airtable base and suggests potential solutions or categorizes incoming tickets based on sentiment analysis.

  • Custom User Interfaces and Branding: Airtable offers a functional interface, but the API allows you to develop custom apps with a user interface tailored to your specific needs and branding. This could be crucial for creating public-facing portals or client dashboards that seamlessly integrate with your Airtable data.

  • Advanced Data Analytics and Reporting: Airtable’s built-in reporting features are useful, but for in-depth data analysis, you might require more. The API allows you to connect your Airtable data with powerful analytics tools. This could involve building custom dashboards with interactive visualizations or generating comprehensive reports that go beyond Airtable’s native capabilities.

 

Conclusion

Airtable offers a powerful and versatile toolkit that can revolutionize your company’s operations. By implementing the strategies outlined above, you can streamline workflows, optimize resource allocation, and foster seamless team collaboration. Imagine a work environment where everyone has access to the latest information, tasks are completed efficiently, and projects stay on track. Airtable can be the key to unlocking this efficiency level and propelling your business towards sustainable growth.

But what if Airtable’s pre-built features aren’t quite what your team needs?  ProsperSpark’s team of Airtable consultants and developers can help.  We craft custom Airtable solutions tailored to any team’s needs and workflows.  Whether you need help with automation, data management, or building a complex project management system, ProsperSpark can turn your Airtable vision into reality.

Here are a few more resources to learn more about Airtable and its potential for your business:

ProsperSpark’s Airtable Consulting Services

Airtable for Beginners Guide

Airtable Community Forum

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