VIEWPOINT
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
JAMES PETTER, GENERAL MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL, PURE STORAGE, ON TRENDS THAT WILL DETERMINE BUSINESS SUCCESS IN 2022
W
ith uncertainty rife going into 2021 (and for most part of the year), flexibility and agility were organisational priorities. As such, adoption of hybrid work as the defacto operating model and a significant pivot towards more as-a-service technology investments were two key trends we witnessed across the region. Based on the learnings of the past year, here are a few trends that I believe will have a significant impact on businesses heading into 2022. Failure to retain top talent will cripple businesses As the worst of the pandemic subsides, 40
CXO INSIGHT ME
DECEMBER 2021
and life starts returning to normal, businesses may be faced with a new crisis: employee attrition. The technology industry is not immune to the great resignation that hit the US this summer. This is a global trend that may continue well into 2022 as employees voluntarily reassess their workplace options and change their priorities. To set themselves apart and retain their employees, the industry may see businesses starting to shift travel and expenses (T&E) budgets towards higher salary levels as well as offering flexibility on benefits with an even greater lens on diversity and inclusion. Currently, the high costs of recruitment and high salaries being thrown around are unsustainable — there needs to be a
levelling out, and this will be a key focus for businesses in 2022. Businesses will increasingly embrace a new ‘invest to grow’ mindset The pandemic has dramatically changed how business leaders view IT spend. Over the last 18-24 months, businesses witnessed a power struggle between the CEO’s growth perspective and the CFO’s pullback perspective. With businesses under huge duress, the CFO came to the fore and dominated. However, we’re now at a tipping point with the power shift more finely balanced between the two — and the CEO winning back the conversation. In 2022 we’ll increasingly see businesses investing in new ways of
