The office has changed dramatically since COVID-19 swept over the country. Employees are much more likely to work remotely, and offices are shrinking.
Businesses have turned to new tools to bridge the gap. Where videoconferences used to be reserved for major meetings at multinational corporations, they've now become commonplace even for small teams. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and a number of other applications have become the exclusive communication channel for many companies, and have even made their way into our personal lives.
Beyond that, companies are now looking to Google Docs, Microsoft 365, and other online ecosystems to help them work together on documents, presentations, and more.
As we put COVID-19 and all of its changes in the past, it's become clear that the workplace will never look quite like it did three years ago. Though we're starting to move back to in-office work, the rapid adoption of new technology is unlikely to change. Teams are now used to co-authoring documents in real time while chatting with their coworkers and maybe even enjoying their favorite song. To be successful, businesses will have to learn how to enable these new behaviors, and balance workplace needs with the newfound flexibility that employees enjoyed while working from home.