Innovation drives growth – this is one of the basic principles of macroeconomics. But innovation is also a key driver of employee happiness. In fact, Deloitte research shows that employees are 34% happier in their working environment when they feel like innovation is being encouraged.
This means that those fast-growing companies focused on creating innovative products or services – and adapting them at speed for a volatile market – are sitting on a key source of employee satisfaction. Not only that, but we all have so many tools at our fingertips that 'innovation' is extremely easy to access.
However, our offices haven't always been the connected, networked and wired-up places they are today. When Regus was founded back in 1989, almost none of the office tech existed that we now take for granted. Over two decades on, Regus research shows that 54% of companies now believe technology is the key to profitability.
Let's take a look at five of the biggest inventions of the last few decades, and have a peek at what's on the horizon.
- The World Wide Web: it's almost unimaginable now, but it was only when the World Wide Web was made available in 1991 that we were able to start using email, revolutionising communication and driving up productivity.
- Laptops: these took off in 1995 and were the first step to allowing us to work wherever, whenever we needed.
- BlackBerry phones: 1999 saw another turning point in communication, as people were finally able to access their emails on-the-go without the need to lug around a computer.
- WiFi hotspots: Starbucks introduced WiFi into its coffee shops in 2001, bringing in the era of the coffee shop freelancer.
- The Cloud: this one was a long time coming, but by 2013, cloud-based storage and data tools were firmly entrenched in many businesses.
In fact, 2013 was also the year when the number of mobiles and connected devices outstripped the number of people on the planet.
Innovation has completely changed how we work. And if there's one lesson we can learn from the last 30 years, it's that nothing stays still for long. Here are some of the biggest projects currently in development.
5G networks
Digital collaboration has become central to both our working methods and our lives. Up to 75% of workers believe it improves their morale and productivity. Therefore 4G's leaner, meaner younger brother 5G will be a welcome upgrade. With speeds up to ten times faster and response rates fifty times quicker than those provided by 4G, lag times will be a thing of the past. Low energy use will also ensure much longer battery times.
Intelligent bots
Artificially intelligent 'chat bots' mean we could all have our own PA. According to companies like Emoshape, they'll perform all those menial tasks that suck up our time, from organising calendars to warning us about traffic jams. Monotony is one of the biggest causes of disengagement in the workplace, so leaving these routine tasks to someone – or something – else will let your employees concentrate on the creative work they enjoy (increasing both innovation and satisfaction).
The Internet of Things
This is where every object can generate and transmit data. It could be used for millions of different purposes; one simple way would be using the building itself to closely track and analyse your workspace, to find out how areas are used at different times of the day. Conclusions could then be drawn to improve efficiency – if break-out areas are being used more than desk-based spaces, the balance of the office could be shifted towards the former.
It's clear that we're heading towards a workplace that's freer from the humdrum and the monotonous, increasing employee happiness by allowing them to concentrate on the innovative core product work of their business.