Due to extenuating circumstances, such as the pandemic, many industries are reporting considerable skills gaps. For example, there are thought to be skills gaps in up to 70% of the technology industry, and many other industries are finding similar gulfs in appropriately trained workers.

To address this, business leaders must understand where gaps exist in their own organisation and look to develop their employees to fulfil specific skills gaps.

Organisations are failing to develop middle-management to eventually take on C-Suite(senior and executive level) positions. In 2022, businesses must roll out strategies designed to equip middle-management with the skills they need to lead and therefore be considered for roles within the C-Suite.

Crucially, this training must focus on training leaders for the here-and-now, as well as those that are able to develop empathy and an emotional connection with their teams.

While employees and management may be open to the idea of change in the working environment, implementing large-scale changes can create further issues with change fatigue – particularly prevalent given what we’ve experienced these past few years. If this is the case, then working to reinforce change management should certainly be on your list of priorities for 2022.

Leaders must prioritise the way they manage organisational change since it is likely that almost two years of upheaval in the workplace has greatly contributed to fatigue and burnout.

In 2022, employers will need to review their hiring policies to ensure they’re finding those with high ceilings when it comes to their potential.

Hiring new talent has always been a lottery, and that won’t change. However, as a consequence of these changes in the employment market, the penalties for hiring the wrong person could mean that you miss out on that one person that your organisation craves.

There was once a time when employees clocked in and clocked out; no questions asked. But these days employees care far more than just their salary. While, clearly, wages are a key pointer for employees to remain with a business, they are now just as concerned about the environment they are being asked to work.

In 2022, businesses must find new ways to bolster the overall health and wellbeing of their employees – this could mean anything from offering perks to preparing them to take the next step in their careers.

Employees are also keen to know that their health and welfare is taken seriously; this means everything from ensuring correct health protocols to ensuring that mental fatigue and burnout are addressed quickly and correctly.

Now that remote working continues to look increasingly likely heading into 2022, it’s crucial that organisations rally in order to create a healthy working culture. And for those that must continue with a hybrid working approach, safety must be taken very seriously.