Forrester’s North America Predictions 2022: The 30% Of Companies That Insist On A Fully In-Office Model Will Find That Their Employees Simply Won’t Accept It

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., October 26, 2021 — According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2022 Predictions, released today, employee quit rates will rise at the 30% of companies that don’t support anywhere–work. Attrition at these firms will rise above their industry averages — monthly resignation rates will rise to as high as 2.5% in 2022 — until executives feel the pain and finally commit to making anywhere–work actually work. Other factors that US firms will need to consider when planning remote work strategies include navigating vaccine mandate legalities and redesigning meetings, job roles, and promotion opportunities to better accommodate employee experience within this model.

Forrester’s Predictions reports analyze the dynamics and trends in different disciplines and industries, including technology and innovation, customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), and B2C and B2B marketing. These insights showcase Forrester’s bold calls for the next year, helping business and technology leaders see around the corner, craft a clear vision, and gain a competitive edge to thrive in the year ahead. In 2022, customer demands — for seamless cross-channel experiences, inclusive user experiences, and brand commitment to ESG values — will only grow stronger.

Additional highlights from Forrester’s 2022 Predictions include:

  • 10 big mainstream brands will step in where governments fail to act. In 2022, more than 50% of US adults will regularly make purchases from brands that align with their personal values. As a result, several mainstream B2C brands will act like never before in responding to politicized issues in order to improve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. 
  • Digital transformation will shift to creativity-fueled transformation. In 2022, future fit firms will think beyond digital transformation to implement initiatives that tightly fuse CX and EX. Additionally, 10% of tech leaders will prioritize investments in strategic partnerships and innovation practices at 3x the rate of competitors. 
  • $10 billion in design spending will shift to pro-accessibility vendors and services. In 2022, CX teams will shift tactics to meet pandemic-specific challenges but will target areas where they can be most impactful. Specifically, they will ratchet up accessibility and privacy investments due to pressure from lawsuits. 
  • 60% of security incidents will involve third parties. With fewer than 70% of security professionals managing privacy and security risks in their partner ecosystem, investing in the pillars of risk management — people, process, and technology — to prevent future incidents will become even more critical. 
  • 70% of B2B marketers will adopt an “always on” digital engagement strategy. Persistent digital engagement will be the norm in 2022 as leaders rely more on automated solutions. While marketing technology will encompass 25% of marketing budgets, 75% of efforts to create automated, personalized engagement won’t meet ROI goals because of inadequate buyer insights. 

“Two years of tumult driven by the pandemic have led to an even more uncertain reality filled with escalating customer and employee expectations,” said Sharyn Leaver, SVP of research at Forrester. “In 2022, the need for these leaders to act quickly and intelligently in the moment has never been more critical. Creativity, resilience, and agility — fueled by greater customer understanding and smarter technology investments — will ultimately separate leaders from laggards in this new era, regardless of their industry.”

About Forrester 

Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We help leaders across technology, marketing, customer experience, product, and sales functions use customer obsession to accelerate growth. Through Forrester’s proprietary research, consulting, and events, leaders from around the globe are empowered to be bold at work — to navigate change and put their customers at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations. Our unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 675,000 consumers, business leaders, and technology leaders worldwide; rigorous and objective research methodologies, including Forrester Wave™ evaluations; over 52 million real-time feedback votes; and the shared wisdom of our clients. To learn more, visit Forrester.com. 

Author Information

As a detail-oriented researcher, Sherril is expert at discovering, gathering and compiling industry and market data to create clear, actionable market and competitive intelligence. With deep experience in market analysis and segmentation she is a consummate collaborator with strong communication skills adept at supporting and forming relationships with cross-functional teams in all levels of organizations.

Sherril holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from University of Colorado, Boulder and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University.

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