Change is constant; although this year it seems to have come lightning fast. Across all areas; workplaces, societies and economies, there’s been a great deal of change throughout 2020. But as we look towards the future we’re mindful that there’s plenty more where this came from.
Today we’re going to take some time out to ready ourselves for what’s ahead. Through sharing the upcoming workplace trends for 2021 we hope that you’ll be more prepared and assured for what’s to come.
So go on, give our workplace trends 2021 a read and, if there’s something that sparks your interest, be sure to share this list with your colleagues and connections.
Workplace Trend #1: Renewed Focus on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
2020 has pushed diversity and inclusion firmly into the spotlight, and we couldn’t be happier about it. From the Black Lives Matter movement to the growing concern around the impacts COVID-19 has had on women in the workforce, diversity and inclusion initiatives will be a focus for many organisations throughout 2021.
As we already know from various research initiatives, one of the main barriers to women entering high levels of leadership is that they aren’t given the opportunity to enter the management sector at the same pace as their male counterparts. This is something we’re committed to changing through our women in leadership program, Lead Boldly. It’s an impactful program based in science that addresses cognitive biases and challenges unique to women in the workplace. We’ve run this program inside some of the world’s most recognisable organisations, including Amazon.
Workplace Trend #2: Hybrid Teams Take Centre Stage
While many organisations were forced to make the shift to remote work in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions and social distancing, studies show that workers are keen to embrace a more flexible approach to working arrangements into the future. A key workplace trend for 2021 will be hybrid teams. According to Slack’s workplace trend report the overwhelming majority of individuals would prefer to work in a hybrid team environment – with some team members working from home, and others working from the office.
We’ve written a heap of articles about hybrid teams, and we’re keen to see this team structure adopted by more organisations throughout the coming year. It’s a unique approach but one that we hope will become mainstream as this trend rises in popularity across the globe.
Workplace Trend #3: Virtual Collaboration
Throw out your whiteboard, highlighters and notepads stat. Virtual collaboration is the workplace trend that’s hotter than ever, and it’s one we couldn’t be more keen to see rising in popularity. Virtual collaboration tools have been a saviour for many organisations rapidly switching to remote work throughout the last twelve months, and with this move there’s been a jump in the development of tools to support this new way of working.
We’ve found ourselves relying heavily on screen sharing functionality in Zoom as well as Miro for virtual brainstorming sessions across our organisation. If you’re yet to dabble in the world of virtual collaboration tools, we’d highly recommend that you check out our recent article on the best virtual collaboration tools.
Workplace Trend #4: Data Security
With more and more people working from cafes, picnic tables and just about anywhere you can think of, data security in public spaces is more important than ever before. While many of your employees may never consider how compromising some of their daily tech use can be for your company, it’s worth educating your team and your leaders to ensure that optimal data security practices are being used.
For starters, an antivirus software like Trend Micro can help to beef up your security measures. Also ensuring that your team is creating secure passwords (and not using the same password for every single app) you’ll be making your workplace a more secure, safe environment for your people and your clients.
So there you have it – all the 2021 workplace trends to keep a look out for in the new year. Is your team prepared? Do you have some things to add to your to-do list now that you’ve read our break down?
Well, if you need any help in your pursuit towards virtual team excellence or hybrid team structure, you know where you can find us.
