To keep pace with accelerating digital transformation initiatives and the realities of global health, climate, and social challenges, organizations must adopt more dynamic and hybrid ways of working.
IDC says workers must redefine themselves as members of dynamic and reconfigurable teams that can adapt quickly to business demands and new market requirements – anytime, anywhere, and from any physical location.
Driven by senior executives and executive boards, Future of Work initiatives will be enterprise-wide imperatives. The rapid adoption of more automated, cloud-based, and AI-enabled work practices will improve work productivity and introduce new, more agile ways of working.
The insights gained from these digital-first ways of working will enable organizations to respond to the needs of customers and employees, driving improvements in employee retention and customer satisfaction.
"As organizations continue to define and refine work models best suited for their industries, they inevitably will need to calibrate the right deployment of automation, digital and physical workspace, and place technologies," said Amy Loomis, research director, Future of Work.
She opined that far from being a means to an end, deployment of these technologies is sparking new leadership conversations around empowering workers to be more autonomous and innovative working with IT, across functions and with clients.
IDC's Future of Work 2022 top 10 predictions
Prediction 1: By 2024, 80% of the G2000 will use AI/ML-enabled "digital managers" to hire, fire, and train workers in jobs measured by continuous improvement, but only 1 of 5 will realize value without human engagement.
Prediction 2: By 2023, G2000 line of business employees will use tools to automate their own work using codeless development, but 90% of these programs will fail without supporting COE and adoption methodology.
Prediction 3: 40% of the G2000 will see a 25% improvement in information usage by 2026 due to investments in intelligent knowledge networks that turn structured/unstructured data into findable and actionable knowledge.
Prediction 4: By 2023, digital transformation (DX) and business volatility will drive 70% of G2000 organizations to deploy remote or hybrid-first work models, redefining work processes and engaging diverse talent pools.
Prediction 5: 70% of enterprise businesses will have extensively invested in diversity, equality, and inclusion data, tools, and benchmarking by 2024 to define recruitment and human capital strategies.
Prediction 6: By 2023, 60% of G2000 businesses will deploy AI- and ML-enabled platforms to support the entire employee life-cycle experience from onboarding through retirement.
Prediction 7: DX-related IT skills shortages will affect 90% of organizations by 2025, costing over $6.5 trillion globally through 2025 due to delayed product releases, reduced customer satisfaction, and loss of business.
Prediction 8: By 2025, 90% of new commercial constructions/renovations will deploy smart facility technology supporting flexible workplaces and sustainably improving occupant experiences and operational performance.
Prediction 9: By 2023, 70% of connected workers in task-based roles will use intelligence embedded in adaptive digital workspaces from anywhere to engage clients/colleagues and drive enterprise productivity.
Prediction 10: G1000 firms will use intelligent digital workspaces with augmented visual technologies (hardware/software) in 8:10 regularly scheduled meetings by 2024 to enable high-performance distributed global teams.