Future of Work - My predictions for 2021

Happily looking forward: my predictions for 2021 

2020 was a year like no other, and I think we are all glad to see it come to an end! We started the year full of excitement for a new decade and the hope for continued betterment of our world. Instead, we got a global pandemic and everything changed. Considering no one could have predicted that, out of curiosity, I went back and looked at last year’s predictions to see how they played out.  

I predicted AI-enabled voice assistants would become smarter. They have. I predicted that AR/VR technology would enable video conferencing. Not quite, but we’re seeing huge forward momentum. And I predicted location analytics would integrate with collaboration tools. Yep, that happened.  

And when looking back, I realized that these predictions foreshadowed why so many business were able to thrive despite the pandemic: the availability and widespread adoption of meeting and conferencing tools.  

So, now what?  

Looking forward, we have one vaccine in use and three more on the way. There is a collective sense that life will “get back to normal.” And while I hope that is true, I also believe that the wholesale change we saw in how we work is here to stay. Hybrid work will be the new normal, and that will affect other areas as well.  

Prediction 1: Hybrid work is here to stay.  

There is no “going to the office”– at least here in California where I live. Companies moved their employees remote in March and we’ve been here ever since. However, I don’t believe remote work will be the norm in 2021 – instead we’ll see a split between in-office and remote – thus hybrid. A recent survey from JLL, a world leader in real estate services, found that 75% of office workers want to continue working from home post-pandemic. Additionally, I believe that more and more companies will hire employees in places other than their headquarters – location of talent will no longer be a limiting factor.  

Because of this, we’ll start to see companies de-invest in office space, and begin to consolidate their current footprint. The office won’t go away – it’s still an integral part of team-building, employee engagement, and brainstorming – but I believe we’ll see the rise of “pop-up” offices; shared or co-op work spaces to accommodate workers no matter where they are. And we’ll continue to see investment in collaboration technologies like Webex and others to keep people connected, virtually.  

Prediction 2: Real Estate disruptions 

With hybrid work becoming the norm in 2021, we’ll see changes in both residential and commercial real estate. On the residential side, new home construction is now including dedicated office space; no longer a converted bedroom or a cubby tucked in somewhere, but space designed from the outset as an office. This will include things like extra electrical sockets, easy access to home networking cabling, purpose-built shelving and desks, and extra insulation for sound-proofing.  

Offices won’t go away – but how they are used will change significantly. We’ll see “reimagined” workplaces that satisfy the needs of workers to be together while still ensuring their safety. This means fewer conference rooms and more open gathering and huddle spots. We’ll see technology being integrated throughout the entire office footprint to accommodate remote colleagues – from smart boards to video conferencing screens. We’ll see more digital signage with integrated sensors to monitor health and safety and real-time alerts.  

Prediction 3: Continued innovation in the use of AI for daily work 

As I’ve predicted over the last several years, we’ve seen continued integration of AI into meeting technology – all designed to make the act of meeting less onerous, giving us the bandwidth to focus and be present.  

In 2021, we’ll see AI used to remove stressors and make work easier. New features like integrated background noise removal means you don’t have to remember to go on mute (or forget to go off). Automatic transcription of meetings and embedded note taking means never forgetting an important action item. Language translation means you can more easily connect and engage with your colleagues – and be sure everyone is understood. And for offices, we’ll see more touch-free, personalized experiences to alleviate anxiety about returning to the office.  

While much of this AI is already a part of our meeting tools, we’ll see more widespread adoption and integration in 2021. And I believe we’ll see accelerated investment in new technology just now being explored.  

Bonus Prediction: More inclusive work experiences  

Today’s technology offers equality in experience and ensures an inclusive environment for all participants. With everyone moving to remote work this year, this was one of the positive outcomes! 

Technology empowers the remote worker, giving everyone in the meeting or huddle or even the board meeting equal opportunity to participate. Think about it – when everyone is dialing into a meeting, that levels the playing field – all the “boxes,” or video thumbnails, are the same size! Everyone in the meeting is a first-class citizen with equal access and opportunity to be heard.  

AI will play a role in creating more inclusive experiences, too. For example, live, closed captioning in your native language allows both for you to understand, and be understood, creating a more inclusive experience for everyone. And there’s certainly more on the horizon!  

I predict we’ll continue to see this focus on inclusive experiences in 2021 and beyond. Even in a hybrid scenario, the perception of a person who dials in to a meeting will no longer be “outside” or “remote.” In fact, I predict changing from using remote as a descriptor to simply saying “at home.” And this will lead to an increased focus on building trust, connections, and relationships with our colleagues, no matter where they are working.  

Looking to the future 

If there’s one thing 2020 taught us, it’s that no one can predict the future. Instead, we learned that work isn’t where you go, it’s what you do. We saw a shift from a bias that working from home is “not really working” to seeing the immense productivity gains despite being home-bound. We expanded our understanding of work-life balance issues and learned to build trust over video. And we evolved the definition of productivity to one of results rather than face time. 

The hybrid work experience is here to stay. Yes, it requires new management skills and a new mind-set, but what it offers in return is more valuable – the opportunity for endless inclusiveness and innovation in the future.  

I wish you all Happy New Year – and here’s to a healthy, safe, and productive 2021!