With all the surprises 2020 threw at us, doesn’t it make sense to start planning for 2021?
Anticipating an economic rebound, here are some workplace predictions to look out for:
1. REMOTE WORK IS HERE TO STAY
If you perform a web search on what the Future of Work will look like post-COVID, the unanimous answer is that remote work will be a permanent fixture in business models. In a global survey participated by 1,200 Chief Information Officers (CIO), the World Economic Forum estimated that the percentage of permanent remote workers will rise from 16.4% to 34.4%. Prior to the pandemic, managers were wary of remote work due to fear of reduced workers’ efficiency; but in the same survey, 48.6% reported that productivity has improved since workers began working remotely, and only 28.7% of respondents indicated a decline in productivity.
2. AR/VR WILL BE WIDELY ADOPTED
Pre-pandemic expectations of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) within the manufacturing sector were optimistic attributing to the prediction of it being utilized in training, testing and even customer experience. Even with decreases in IT spending, the International Data Corporation (IDC) saw a tempered 35.3% growth at $10.7 billion from the $7.9 billion spent in 2019. With the long-term demand for contactless and touchless technology, the IDC estimates a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in AR/VR spending of 76.9%, to reach $136.9 billion by 2024.
3. SALARIES
Though some companies have reduced wages as cost-saving measures, employers are still budgeting for performance-based salary increases. According to a survey by World at Work, the average salary increase is around 2.9% in 2020, down from the projected average increase of 3.3 percent expected at the start of the year. World At Work analysts are forecasting that the rate increase in 2021 will be around the 2.9% range as well.
4. CONTINGENT STAFFING
In a survey performed by The Conference-Board among 1,300 CEOs, they cited that the 4th most important workforce change is hiring more contingent workers. This is also supported by Gartners’ survey stating 32% of HR personnel said they’ll be hiring workers on a contract basis to build their workforce while the market stays irregular.
SoloPoint Solutions aims to provide flexible engineering solutions for companies who are planning to hire in 2021. We can source for hard-to-find Mechanical, Electrical, and Manufacturing Talents and help integrate them seamlessly with your workforce remotely by providing them CAD tools and workstations.
To learn about our services, connect with us today: