The past two years have been quite the ride due to the pandemic that swept throughout the globe. Not only our personal lives have been affected, but most especially our careers and businesses. There are a lot of challenges that had to be faced and decisions that had to be made.
Nonetheless, every hurdle was successfully overcome and we have learned how to adapt to the circumstances.
In this post, we want to look back at 2021 and see how the year has affected the B2B scene as a whole.
Everybody wants leads
According to data from the November 2020 SEMRush, “The State of Content Marketing 2020 Global Report”, generating quality leads is the main goal of 79% of marketers in 2021. The global pandemic might have played a role in this, and our data here at Callbox, so far, tell us ‘yes, somehow’. Despite the global lockdowns and the ongoing remote work setups, new business conversations are happening every day. Companies of all sizes–from startups to Fortune 500s–have inquired about and engaged our services. It seems that organizations, across different industries, consider this crisis as an opportunity.
Remote Work
Due to the pandemic affecting businesses all around the globe, a lot of precautions had to be put into place such as having to work remotely for the most part for the past two years.
Remote work habits and expectations have shifted since the first quarter of 2020. Employers weren’t expecting their entire employees to work from home, but owing to technological advancements and ingenuity, it’s working out nicely for many.
All around the world, more and more employers are embracing flexible schedules for their remote teams leading to new remote work trends and more remote work options.
According to statistics on remote workers, more than 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely at least half of the time. Only 44% of businesses accept remote work, and solely 16% of businesses recruit only remote workers.
According to an Owl labs survey, 16 percent of organizations are entirely remote globally. According to the same poll, 62% of workers aged 22 to 65 claim to work remotely at least periodically.
In addition, 44% of organizations do not allow any type of remote work, according to the report.
Several surveys have shown that working from home has improved employee’s productivity as well as being able to spend more time with their family.
As good as the effects of remote work have been, many employees actually are now opting for a more hybrid work environment. A skeletal work setting is preferred where they have some set days working from home as well as at the office as well.
Remote work is a big issue these days, and all indications are that it will continue to grow over the next decade. Employers save money on office space by allowing employees to work from home. The figures speak for themselves, and it appears that the trend of remote workers will continue.
Digital Transformation
Many corporations have implemented a digital strategy as a result of today’s enterprises’ embrace of digital transformation. This is now true not only for major corporations but also for startups, resulting in a massive increase in the size of the digital transformation industry. Financial services and healthcare are two examples of businesses that have entered the fray. Adopting a digital strategy, however, does not imply that your company will thrive overnight. Many firms understand that it takes years to gain the benefits of such a strategy. Here are some of the top Digital transformation stats that you need to know for 2021:
- Firms undergoing digital revolutions, 84 percent of company leaders believe that new business prospects have arisen.
- Digital maturity is linked to strong financial success, with 43% of highly digitally mature businesses reporting much greater net profit margins than the sector norm.
- AI is already being used by 36% of major firms to improve data analysis, up 50% from the previous year.
- Investing in analytics for frontline workers (those who interface directly with consumers) is expected to boost customer engagement and happiness, according to 65 percent of corporate leaders.
2020 introduced uncertainty but somehow, 2021 showed us that there are ways to overcome these roadblocks as witnessed with the shift to digital.
Related: Optimizing Your Sales Through Digital Transformation
Pandemic
The pandemic is still wreaking havoc on countries all over the world. Many people are still infected, and the number of new coronavirus cases throughout the world is fluctuating. Several vaccines have been authorized for use in several countries, and vaccination campaigns are now ongoing. Nonetheless, it is critical for people to remain cautious, take safety precautions, and observe all rules and regulations.
The impact of COVID-related limitations on migratory mobility and humanitarian groups is significant. Between the 10th of March 2020, the day before the WHO proclaimed COVID-19 a pandemic, and the 4th of October 2021, 109,591 movement restrictions were imposed all across the world.
Conclusion
There are many changes that have taken place since the pandemic started last, and as much as it has turned our lives upside down, we can also see the distinct changes both great and small. Great progress has been made as well as many more adjustments to be made as we go forward with our businesses. We hope that this year-end review gives us all a broader perspective of what still needs to be done and worked on.
