Top Digital Trends In 2018 For American Businesses

Some things in this world are always changing such as business. The basic principles may stay the same, but the way we do business, and especially how we use technology, is forever changing.

There are many articles you can find online making predictions on what will happen this year, and below is a summary of some of the most popular trends in business for Americans in 2018.

Utilising Freelancers

One trend which is common across the digital workplace is using freelancers and VAs (virtual assistants) to get things done. Using these types of services is an excellent idea when you have ups and downs in your workload. There are as many as 55 million people in America today who work in some capacity on a freelance basis.

Ditching The Answering Machine

Another trend which is proving to be popular in 2018 is getting rid of the answering machine. Many companies are not only getting rid of these annoying machines but also moving away from foreign call centres, opting instead for a US call answering service. Virtual receptionists mean that your clients are not struggling to get through to a human, and no call gets missed.

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Shared Working Spaces

Over the last few years, especially with the advent of digital nomads, shared working spaces is another popular trend that we see in 2018. Over the last 4 or 5 years, the amount of co-working spaces has risen dramatically, and these types of facilities are very popular with freelancers, nomads, and remote workers as well.

Allowing Employees To Work Remotely

Just as with the increase in freelancers and shared working spaces, it is also becoming much more common for companies to enable their members of staff to work remotely. Usually, they will either be allowed to work remotely for one or two days per week, or some companies even have their team working entirely remotely. One good thing about this is you can get the best staff, no matter where they are in the world. However, one drawback to this is the differing time zones, so it all depends on where in the world the remote workers are located.

Performance Reviews

It used to be the case with performance reviews that they would be conducted once every three months, or even once a year. It is much more common now for there to be a lot more feedback from employers as to how their employees are performing, on a much more regular basis. One of the reasons for this is the technology that we use, and the amount of data that we now have access to, so we can see real-time performance increases or drops.

Comfort Of Employees

Google was one of the first companies to try and make a difference in the comfort of their employees, and the trend is still becoming more popular in 2018. Whether it is providing ergonomic furniture, break-out areas, pool tables or bean bags, and even providing healthy foods in the staff canteen. Employers are paying a lot more attention to their workers’ health and wellbeing, which is hopefully a trend which will last for a long time to come.

Along with the digital age comes change, opportunities and convenience in most areas of our daily lives, the workplace included.