1. A more connected world 

The past two years have seen us witness how what happens thousands of miles away can have a big impact around the globe. Never has the world been so connected both financially and biologically - and this fact is set to stay. 2022 will see us need to work even more closely with other countries as we continue to navigate the challenges from the pandemic.  

The pandemic has bought the world closer together as different governments have had to work together effectively to cope. For instance, sharing vaccine and treatment developments has become necessary, as those in the developed world are reliant on sharing their vaccines with less wealthy countries to ensure an effective global effort to combat the spread of coronavirus variants. The success of this partnership relies on transparency and vigilance worldwide. 

2. Global job market

The pandemic has accelerated the growth of hybrid working and thus opened a huge pool of talent internationally. We can expect to see more companies open to the idea of recruiting from other countries in 2022, creating diverse, multicultural workplaces that will bring a new set of challenges. These include the need for effective communication across different languages and cultures.

The fact that companies can now utilise talent from across the globe has become invaluable to those unable to recruit locally.  This global resource is badly needed in the UK, with the country having a record 1.3 million job vacancies. Many businesses are struggling to recruit talent with 87% of employers say they are struggling to fill positions, according to recruitment platform Monster.  

3. Video calls are here to stay 

Video conferencing has brought multiple benefits and is set to stay with many of us set to continue to work from home full or part time. We expect to see more innovation in this space as companies require better solutions to make video conferencing even more effective. 

Given the increasingly international aspect of business, as discussed above, translation services are going to become more necessary than ever. We expect video calls will go to the next level and some services now enable several languages being spoken in one call without the need for a translator. Pocketalk has recently launched a cloud-based service to offer accurate subtitles to support this interaction.  

4. Face-to-face meetings and events return 

2022 will see a return to face-to-face interactions where required. For some teams operating internationally, team members haven’t seen each other in person for around two years and there is a real appetite to have in person meetings. We will also see trade shows, exhibitions and conferences start to return to pre pandemic levels. 

5. International travel increased

With so many people unable to visit other countries there will be a huge demand for international travel in 2022, which should increase as new COVID variants become milder. We predict many will be keen to avoid crowded spots and go more off the beaten path.

People are desperate to get out and see the world as the pandemic has made many realise there is a world to explore, and they want to challenge themselves with new places and countries. This travel is likely to include more rail journeys, more work-and-play-cations by digital nomads, plus the return of more people going on big ‘bucket’ list holidays.

To get the most out of travel you need to understand and interact in the local language, which requires a translation or interpreter service. Pocketalk has recently launched a translation app that hosts features including voice input which translates as text and audio, reverse translation, pronunciation practice, translation history and camera translations.