In 2020, the understanding of one’s workplace has changed fundamentally and permanently. The Corona crisis brought numerous new challenges and suddenly made flexible working a must. Maintaining and promoting productivity, efficiency and satisfaction among employees turn out to be a complex undertaking for almost every company. The challenges will not decrease in 2021 either: In addition to the current home office trend, the conditions must also be created to bring employees safely back to the office. “The right technology is key to moving remote working forward and solving difficulties. However, companies are also well advised to look further into the future and plan for a completely new work situation in the long term. Because there will be no going back to pre-Corona times in the world of work either, “says Gregor Knipper, Managing Director for Jabra Business Solutions in the EMEA Central region, and accordingly predicts the following trends for 2021.
New Standard Wireless
In 2021, flexible working will continue to be the focus. After all, the current situation shows that the Corona crisis and the associated home office will remain a central topic in the coming year. In addition, many employees have liked the flexible working model and would like a mixture of a home office and office presence in the future. This is also made clear in the recently published IDG study : When asked what opportunities the new work models offer, the top answers were work without a time limit(33.9 percent), “Better work-life balance, more freedom” (27.8 percent) and “work anywhere” (23.8 percent). For employees to be able to work flexibly, flexible technology is also required. The keyword is Wireless. With cordless headsets, employees are not tied to a desk but can change their place of work and take part in calls and meetings from virtually anywhere. Suppose the headset can also be paired with several devices at the same time. In that case, employees can easily switch between different end devices such as laptops and smartphones – precisely as they need it, regardless of whether they are in the office, home office, or on the go.
Safe Collaboration
Remote working has reached another level due to the Corona crisis, but collaboration in the office is also changing permanently. With a gradual return to normal and employees coming back to the office for at least part of the week, companies need to adapt conference and meeting rooms. Where previously ten participants could fit into one room, with current hygiene and safety regulations, only four employees have to sit at a safe distance from each other. It is precisely because of the collaboration with others that many employees currently come to the office. However, parts of the workforce may belong to risk groups or are in quarantine and therefore remain in the home office for a more extended period. During this time and with the general trend towards more flexible working probably also beyond, hybrid meetings must be held. Therefore, companies need to use video technology that enables collaboration from a safe distance while offering optimal video quality. In 2021, topics such as people counting and usage analysis in meeting rooms will play a more critical role in making optimal room use according to the current circumstances.
Virtual Presence
Video technology will also be used more than ever in 2021, and developments in this area are accelerating accordingly, regardless of whether it is a customer meeting or an internal team called—the more authentic the experience, the more positive the feeling of leaving the meeting with the participants. AI, in particular, is proving to be a central element here, as the latest developments at the Nvidia show. Their AI solution “Maxine” solves the most common video conference problems and, for example, reduces the bandwidth required for video, extrapolates the video resolution and corrects the view of the participants so that they always look into their cameras. The proliferation of HD video and audio encourages the increased use of artificial intelligence, making virtual meetings more and more accurate.
Reduce Stress
Personal meetings are often exhausting, no question about it, but the New Normal shows that virtual meetings also have their pitfalls. A recently presented Microsoft study shows apparent weaknesses in video meetings: a lack of personal closeness, body language and facial expressions that are difficult to read, as well as reduced visual and acoustic signals. To compensate for all of this, employees have to be even more concentrated than is the case in face-to-face meetings and tire more quickly. The study also underlines this: symptoms of fatigue set in after 30 to 40 minutes, the stress level remains significantly higher for around two hours – another argument favouring high-quality technology that makes a virtual meeting as pleasant and stress-free as possible for participants.
Long-Term Change Management
In addition to all the technological advances and developments, the human factor must not be neglected in 2021. After all, it is the employees who have to embrace and support changes for them to work. If companies were forced to rethink and enable remote work in 2020, in 2021 – if they have not already done so – they should rely on well-thought-out, long-term change management. Considering the current situation, looking into the future and involving employees in the change are the three key factors that must be primarily considered. Do employees need support to work optimally in the home office? Are there training or workshops that can help here? Are you equipped with the right equipment at all? These questions must first be answered and appropriate measures implemented, then the future should be looked at. Many employees will want hybrid working models, i.e. a mixture of remote working and office presence. Even after Corona, some want to go back to the office permanently.
Companies also have to individually check which models can be implemented for which employees and jobs. Companies still have a lot of work to do in these areas, but they should also see the crisis as an opportunity to change and improve traditional structures. This means that you are optimally equipped for the future and will be an attractive employer for young talents. Then the gaze should be directed to the end. Many employees will want hybrid working models, i.e. a mixture of remote working and office presence. Even after Corona, some want to go back to the office permanently. Companies also have to individually check which models can be implemented for which employees and jobs.
Companies still have a lot of work to do in these areas, but they should also see the crisis as an opportunity to change and improve traditional structures. This means that you are optimally equipped for the future and will be an attractive employer for young talents. Then the gaze should be directed to the end. Many employees will want hybrid working models, i.e. a mixture of remote working and office presence; even after Corona, some want to return to the office permanently. Companies also have to individually check which models can be implemented for which employees and jobs. Companies still have a lot of work to do in these areas, but they should also see the crisis as an opportunity to change and improve traditional structures. This means that they are optimally equipped for the future and will continue to be an attractive employer for young talents.
Some want to go back to the office permanently. Companies also have to individually check which models can be implemented for which employees and jobs. Companies still have a lot of work to do in these areas, but they should also see the crisis as an opportunity to change and improve traditional structures. This means that you are optimally equipped for the future and will be an attractive employer for young talents. Some want to go back to the office permanently. Companies also have to individually check which models can be implemented for which employees and jobs. Companies still have a lot of work to do in these areas, but they should also see the crisis as an opportunity to change and improve traditional structures. This means that you are optimally equipped for the future and will be an attractive employer for young talents.
