| |April 20219While it's never clear what the future holds, it is certain that companies will continue to face challenges that disrupt work in the year aheadUrbanites will take flightIt used to be that if you wanted a big-league job, you had to move to a major city to find and keep it. But as work has gone virtual, location has become less critical to career success and opportunities than ever before. One in four respondents to another Citrix poll of 2,000 knowledge workers indicated they have abandoned their city dwellings, or plan to do so because:· Their job is now 100 percent remote and will be permanently (37 percent)· They now only need to go into the office once a week (25 percent) The pandemic has proven that they can do their job from anywhere (22 percent).Companies will go where the talent livesThe battle for talent hasn't ceased in light of the pandemic. In many ways, it has only intensified as companies evolve their businesses to accommodate changing market dynamics and customer needs. While it may be scarce, there is talent out there. According to the results of a study conducted by the Centre of Economics and Business Research (Cebr), if given the chance, 95 percent of 2,500 knowledge workers polled who are currently employed say they would work from home 2.4 days per week, on average. And between 60 percent and 70 percent said they'd do so from local coffee shops, shared workspaces and other remote locations at least one day per week. Leveraging flexible work models and digital workspace technology, companies will reach out and engage a forgotten part of the workforce that has in-demand skills but has opted out because traditional models centered around work hubs didn't fit their lifestyle or obligations and create the space they need to work and succeed, wherever they happen to be. And in doing so, Cebr estimates they could drive upwards of $2 trillion in economic gains across the US economy and an increase in GDP of 10.2 percent.While it's never clear what the future holds, it is certain that companies will continue to face challenges that disrupt work in the year ahead. Those that embrace flexible models and digital technologies can create a better way to work that empowers employees to be and do their best and power their business forward.
< Page 8 | Page 10 >