The future of Work in 2022 and beyond

Unevenness and variability will define 2022 for most employees and employers in this volatile world. Employees will work in different ways and locations, the labour market will remain increasingly competitive, and organizations will continue to strive for diversity, equity and inclusion. Leaders must manage the increased variability across all aspects of work. For IT departments, employees working from anywhere and high staff turnover pose several issues. Cloud applications and mobile devices have become essential to the everyday tasks that have kept productivity high during the pandemic crisis and are accessible everywhere.

The remote work model has brought many positive changes and challenges for businesses. Maintaining the status quo and facilitating work during periods of lockdown have been business priorities, but businesses have enjoyed some unexpected benefits in doing so, including productivity increase and reductions in overhead costs. Additionally, businesses have expanded access to talent based outside office regions, including a more diverse workforce.

Adjusting to the new remote and hybrid scenario would not have been possible without innovative tech solutions that ensure maximum employee productivity, allow employees to interact and collaborate, and enhance security posture and IT efficiency. With integration of these technological tools in the remote work ecosystem, businesses are getting contextual and real-time actionable asset insights to help IT teams gain control over their IT investments and help employees become more productive. Cybersecurity fundamentals have become even more important due to constant attacks via ransomware, malware and a host of other threat vectors. Bad actors are taking advantage of the remote workforce’s blind spots, and as attacks become more sophisticated, stakes are high for businesses and users.

In the future of work, businesses will need to manage, automate and prioritize their cybersecurity efforts to effectively navigate the risks. The threat landscape is ever-changing, and companies need to see their cybersecurity strategy as a journey rather than a destination. Additionally, hardware, software and cloud assets are no longer confined to an organization’s office space and network. Software and cloud resources can easily be accessed through web browsers on personal devices, making it difficult for organizations to protect their assets.

Organizations are also finding more innovative solutions that are unique to the remote work experience. By meeting in the metaverse, employees have the opportunity to share virtual worlds and experiences across different software and hardware platforms. Going forward, The metaverse is largely theoretical at this point, but we can see how this new technology could shape our shared reality through consumer products such as Peloton and its virtual exercise classes. 

Dr. Deepak Kumar Sahu, President & CEO, VARINDIA