This year marks 21 years since I entered the workforce, some of technology we have today simply didn't exist when I started my first job as a Receptionist for a large shipping company, and my role now as a social media and Digital Marketing Manager certainly wasn't an option.
Back in 1997, my first job as a receptionist for an international shipping company was to collect the paperwork from the lorry drivers, cross check it on the database and then fax it to the corresponding office across the globe.
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Email wasn't heavily Utilised as a communication tool, the photocopier was enormous and needed its own room, the internet was not available in our office and I used a polycon telephone system to operate all the calls.
The workplace changed over the last 20 years to an almost unrecognisable environment, I took a look at the attitudes, workplace layout, and technology available in the late 1990's to see how we've changed.
In the Late 1990's
In the late 90's Office layout was more cubicle driven, and employees where generally encouraged to work independently, collaborative working was in place, but it was more often than not found in boardrooms, with paper flip charts, not the online collaborative tools available to everyone in the workplace.
Colour wasn't popular, often workplaces where beige, cream or a varied selection of grey and where endless rows of shoulder height partitions.
Back in the late nineties, email was available but you would probably find employees picked up the landlines, used paper based memos, fax machines or letters to communicate with colleagues and customers.
Today we have an array of communication tools, from email, social media, video conferencing or instant messaging services. Which can eliminate the telephone, although there is no substitute for talking to someone!
I love my mac book pro and could never dream of going back to 15 pound desk top computer, with clunky keyboard and mouse. The technology available to us today is amazing, from managing our daily routine on mobile phones, cloud based technology, workplace management systems, CRM's and social media. I never dreamed of these technologies 20 years ago!
Agile working in the 1990's wasn't as common as it is today,
In 1997 my commute was still on over crowded public transport but I listened to my favourite music on my Sony CD Walkman, now, my iPhone and wireless headphones do the trick!
I'm excited to see what the future can hold for us, here at Condeco we have a innovative forward thinking attitude, which makes it an exciting place to work. Technology and innovation is in our blood, and there are always interesting and insightful conversations on the future of the workplace.
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