A new decade has been quietly creeping towards for the last few months, and 2020 is finally upon us. If the ‘roaring 20’s’ of the 20th century was anything to go by, we’ll see plenty of cultural shifts, emerging movements, and economic prosperity (fingers crossed!).
But what will 2020 bring for businesses and office space, and how will we need to adapt? Here’s a rundown of what we can expect to see in our workplaces over the next 12 months, as the twenties of the 21st century officially begins.
Communications systems become paramount
With a trusty fibre broadband connection empowering your office, the communication system that connects your workforce will become ever more essential. While nothing will ever replace one person talking face-to-face with another, young employees joining the world of work will inevitably begin to thrive under digitally-connected conditions.
And with around half of the entire UK workforce set to be working remotely, at least some of the time, collaborative, cloud-based software will become an absolute must for offices. If your current infrastructure doesn’t allow for collaborative working, get ready to make this small, but effective upgrade in the near future.
Adaptable environments for flexible workers
To accommodate these new working conditions, you’re going to need desk-space that’s set up for the flexible worker. So get ready for dual-screen setups, laptops that rarely stay in one place, and multiple devices connected to your network.
You’ve probably already been adapting to the change for the last few years, but how does your office look and feel? If it’s become a disastrous zone of loose wires and spare hardware, you may want to think about the office design itself. Find out more at Maris, the UK’s office design specialists.
Your business on the big and small screen
The most significant change that employers are set to encounter in 2020, however, is the increasing prominence of video. From the way you engage your customers, to how you train and support staff, live video conferencing, video marketing, and video content for internal and external use will become more and more prominent.
If you’ve rarely used video in any of your communications strategies so far, fear not – you’re likely to already have everything you need to make the most of it. As stated by Simpplr.com, it doesn’t need to be costly or time-consuming, and can quickly become a specialist skill that you make the absolute best of in your workplace.
Combine tech with employee wellbeing
Five years ago, Inc.com predicted that one of the biggest changes businesses would see in their employees would be their increasing disregard of hierarchy within the workplace. Not that this means revolution – more an evolution in how employees want to be treated.
And thankfully, as 2020 has edged ever closer, specialists companies have provided ideal solutions for employers everywhere. Employee wellbeing solutions allow you to get a deeper understanding of how your employees are feeling. Usually an app-based solution, employee wellbeing programmes put the power to empower your employees at your fingertips – all you need is another small piece of tech, and an open mind to make use of it.
