While I didn’t think the presentation was totally clear on the “5 trends” referenced in the session description, the general theme of this discussion addressed the forced rapid adoption of new technology in the face of global, seismic shifts in the workplace. Under normal circumstances, the testing and use of these technologies would be seen as innovative, but in recent times it seems that “forced innovation” might be a more accurate description.
Tech Adoption
The remote-work world of 2020 and 2021 provided a unique opportunity to innovators within corporates and law firms to test and implement more technologies than they could in normal times. For those with a keen interest in adopting new tech, it\’s been an exciting time to solve business issues. With the sudden need for chat, video, or good old-fashioned phone calls to exchange information, IT folks stepped up to introduce (or remind) staff of the benefits and function of collaboration software. Some of the favorites mentioned by speakers include the following:
MURAL – A visual collaboration platform (https://www.mural.co/)
Monday.com – A visual collaboration platform, noted for its value to legal Project Managers. (Think you can guess the web address?)
MS Teams – We all know about this one, but as a Microsoft 365 Administrator myself, I know how easy it is to forget about the included features. Plus, there seem to be major features and benefits added almost daily. (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software)
Hiring based on best fit for roles, not based on geography:
This concept seems common sense, but in the past, most hiring managers probably would have never considered it. The notion of hiring the best person for the job used to be limited to the best candidates within a reasonable distance to the office. Fast forward to 2021, and many employers are actually searching for the best candidates in any location. Imagine the benefits to an organization that can hire the best talent in the world for each particular role. Those benefits would extend to clients and customers, too, which in turn extends to the bottom line; it’s a win/win scenario for sure.
Office V. Home – Where do we get the best work product?
According to the speakers, the answer is…it depends! Some professionals will be more productive and creative in a remote setting, while some will do better in the office.
This makes me wonder: Will there be a way to “test” a candidate’s aptitude to achieve success while working remotely in the future? Perhaps a process to evaluate an internal candidate’s request to work remotely based on their past performance? I’m referring to an actual HR-approved process, not just the Manager’s knowledge or instincts, which could be arbitrary at best and discriminatory at worst.
Will there be remotes and remote-nots in the future workplace? That is the question…
David Netzer, President
Legal Tech Talent Network
Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.