Page 32 - EngineerIt January 2021

OPINION

different devices safely - to ensure a positive employee
experience. Businesses and industries that get this right will
set themselves up to attract or retain the best talent and
ultimately succeed in 2021 and beyond.

Prediction #3: The distributed workforce will put
serendipity in its crosshairs

“From Renaissance Florence to Silicon Valley, innovation has
always benefitted from proximity and random interactions.
We’ll likely see a new wave of collaboration tools that will
attempt to bring this element of serendipity into our working
lives.” says Dr Frey.

This touches on something really interesting. In our research
we found that around three-quarters (76%) of employees
reported feeling greater personal connections with
colleagues as a result of remote working. It will be vital for
businesses leaders to capitalise on this to recreate those
‘water cooler’ moments that spark new ideas and drive
businesses' innovation.
Just as offices are designed to promote the increase of
casual interactions, the next year will see us recognising this
unmet need and begin to incorporate creative digital solutions
into our working lives. Just think about the apps emerging,
such as Hallway and Donut, that allow us to exchange or
iterate creative ideas more easily. It’s why striking the right
balance between remote work and productivity gains in the
short run; the serendipitous interactions that drive innovation
and business performance in the long run is a task that many
organisations will be focussing on in 2021.

The future is here
While the future can be laced with uncertainty, there is no doubt
that organisations will grapple with the changes they need to
make as they reflect on a year that has often been called 'the
great remote work experiment’. In this ‘anywhere’ working
world, no longer restricted by geography or location, successful
teams will be distinguished by how they foster productivity,
employee experience and creativity. For organisations to truly
succeed in this new world, they’ll need to ask themselves
whether they are embracing these new attitudes. n

Kristine Dahl Steidel Dr Carl Benedikt Frey

EngineerIT | December 2020 / January 2021 | 30