18 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om MAR K E TWATCH Microsoft has released its 2022 Work Trend Index report. The annual study surveyed 31,000 people in 31 countries and analysed data from Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn regarding leadership plans for 2022 and what employees want from their employers. Five key trends were identified in the study, which Microsoft’s corporate vice president for modern work Jared Spataro said could serve as a “road map for leaders today”, in a blog post. 1Employees are unwilling to sacrifice well-being The report found that 53 per cent of respondents are nowmore likely to prioritise their health and wellbeing over work. In fact, 18 per cent of respondents quit their jobs in 2021. Looking ahead, 52 per cent of Generation Z and millennials are likely to consider a new job in the next year. 2Managers are stuck between leadership and employees Despite the desire for flexibility from employees, 50 per cent of leaders said they plan to fully return to in-person working in 2022. As a result, 54 per cent of managers feel that leadership is “out of touch” with employee expectations and 74 per cent do not feel that they are able to implement change for their teams. “These individuals are closest to employees and have the greatest visibility into problems and solutions,” said Spataro. “But all that insight doesn’t add up to much if managers aren’t able to act.” 3Leaders need to rethink the role of the office Many employees (38 per cent) do not know when and why to come into the office, but only 28 per cent of business leaders have outlined agreements for hybrid work. Nearly half (43 per cent) of remote workers do not feel included in meetings, but only 27 per cent of bosses say they have developed hybrid meeting etiquette to improve inclusion and engagement. Spataro said: “It’s time to adopt a degree of intentionality around the who, where and why of in-person gatherings.” 4Flexible work does not need to cross boundaries According to the research, meetings and chats are on the rise and are sometimes happening outside traditional working hours, with afterhours and weekend work growing by 28 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. While people should feel empowered Businesses must do more to realise effective hybrid work, finds Microsoft The 2022 Work Trend Index fromMicrosoft has revealed that employers are not meeting their employees’ expectations, and a lack of structure could be impacting personal lives
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