What News Awaits Us in the Workplace in 2022?

There is no question that Customer Experience (CX) is a key brand differentiator and will continue to be a driving force for business success in 2022 and for years to come. What workforce trends should brand leaders plan for and what steps should they take to retain employees and increase customer loyalty?

What Trends Await Us in the Workplace in 2022?

1) Closer Alliances Between Customer Experience and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Departments

It’s no secret that when employees feel valued, appreciated, and accepted, customers see and feel it too. One feeds the other. The more the customer experience and HR / D&I teams work together, the greater the likelihood that company goals will be achieved.

2) More Options for the Workplace (Office or Home)

The global pandemic changed the way we think, work and collaborate. Company policies are becoming more flexible, as remote work demonstrates, which in turn generates more loyalty and commitment from agents to deliver customer excellence.

3) Greater Empathy and Communications

Employees are being better trained to “put themselves in the customer’s shoes” and acquiring social skills, such as active listening. This is a good trend for business profits and also for society. Call center reps reading a script will be less tolerable for clients. Today, users want personalized service, which means that company leaders must train their staff to meet customer needs without delay.

4) Better Time Management

People are adopting a “less is more” mentality. Traditional hour-long meetings are becoming half the time and more focused. Additionally, employees are gaining more efficiency by managing their energy to perform their daily tasks instead of constantly looking at the clock. In this way, what is most important is distinguished and productivity, responsibility and profitability are increased.

5) Deeper Understanding of Customer Needs

Many managers have relied solely on surveys to obtain information on how they are meeting customer expectations. Looking ahead, this will not be enough. Adding and centralizing all Voice of the Customer (VoC) feedback sources, i.e. social media, ratings and reviews, website live chat, etc. combined with surveys will be the new game changer.

6) Expanded Business Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Customer satisfaction surveys are expanding to include more than the traditional Net Promoter Score (NPS). Effort and Sentiment Level scores are becoming increasingly important to measure customer satisfaction and future behaviors (i.e. buy again, referrals, etc.).

7) Increased Digital Adoption

Technology is not only changing the way people live, but also how companies serve customers. The key is not to lose the human touch; don’t replace caring for users entirely with automation. Brands that win the hearts of customers will build relationships and trust.

8) An Increase in the Positions of Director of Customer Experience (CXO)

Today, the CX is the most appropriate strategy to achieve an increase in market share, as well as a greater differentiation of a product or service with respect to the competition.

With its management, it seeks to align the main areas of an organization. That they have the same vision, that they understand each one of them, their place in the Experience chain, and, in this way, achieve an excellent company-client relationship globally.

While no expert can 100% predict what the future will bring, we do know one thing for sure: Expect the unexpected. If companies maintain this mindset every day, their leaders will remain calm, resilient, and focused on delivering better experiences.