#1 A growing spirit of mutual aid among entrepreneurs

An unprecedented movement of mutual aid has been observed between entrepreneurs since the start of the pandemic and continues to grow, observes Cadleen Désir , chair of the board of directors of the Groupement des chefs d’entreprise . “Many discussion groups and clubs have formed to share best practices or solutions,” she notes. “These spaces become sources of inspiration and collective intelligence that help entrepreneurs get through this period.” Mutual aid has also taken the form of consolidating expenses between companies in the same sector, lending employees and even mergers and acquisitions. “The pandemic has reduced the ego stakes between entrepreneurs. It has reduced competition to make more room for authenticity and coopetition. This spirit of mutual aid is likely to grow. We all need each other to get through the many challenges that lie ahead.”

#2 Customizable and engaging virtual meetings

After a year of getting used to working remotely, static video conferences with limited features are starting to run out of steam! The 2021 trend is to create new virtual meeting experiences that are more stimulating, engaging and customizable. Sophie Lymburner , director of Why Not Blue , the creator of the Aquarium platform, explains that “the pandemic has created new needs in terms of webcasting. We need to exchange and network in several virtual rooms at the same time. We want to be able to personalize, in the image of the brand, directly from the company website. We will now combine webcasting and videoconferencing.” And to engage employees, we will create stimulating virtual experiences and exclusive events via live webcasting. The time has already come for recording studios in companies (or elsewhere), which can be used by everyone, for conferences, workshops or events.

#3 Continue to focus on training our teams

Many employers took advantage of the slowdown in their activities to train their staff in 2020! In total, 197,000 employees from 34,000 companies took advantage of the Concerted Action Program for Maintaining Employment (PACME) promoting learning and training in the workplace. “There was a mass movement, both in non-profit organizations like ours and in the private sector,” observes Rina Marchand , Senior Director, Content and Innovation at Réseau Mentorat . We have never given so much training to our mentors! We are talking about two virtual training sessions per week on average.” Many companies have started offering training or diversifying their course catalogue, she observes. “A lot of premium or cutting-edge content has become more democratic and accessible. » In 2021, Rina Marchand foresees that the offer will stabilize, consolidate and that we will see a hybridization of training and events in order to equip our employees in various ways.

#4 A feeling of security, even from a distance

Since the start of the pandemic, managers have been faced with major challenges in ensuring their leadership in crisis management. In 2021, the feeling of security will be at the top of employees' concerns, predict Jenny Ouellette , president of BonBoss and columnist on DanieleHenkel.tv , and her research team. Since the pandemic, we have seen that management styles have evolved as well as employees' expectations of their leaders. Our annual survey, What is a good boss?, revealed that the primary needs of stability, well-being and especially security have gained momentum, thus downgrading the importance of having a long-term vision. Bosses (protectors in Latin) benefit from emphasizing the psychological safety of their employees, but also their physical safety in relation to the COVID-19 virus. "In a climate of uncertainty, they must know how to reassure their employees about their jobs and the viability of the company." Not forgetting to put in place protective equipment and/or mental health prevention measures.

#5 Inspiring and enriching workspaces!

The pandemic has transformed our relationship with workspaces by making more room for mobility in a world where computers tend to eliminate paper and serve as our telephone and conference room! “Everyone is looking for the magic number for the post-confinement telework-face-time ratio,” emphasizes Martine Drolet , partner at VAD Designers d’espaces inc . Employees will especially want to return to the office to fulfill their need to collaborate and interact with their colleagues.” The offices of tomorrow will therefore give pride of place to these collaborative spaces. “Going to the office will become an event,” predicts Martine Drolet. “It will no longer be just to set up at your workstation. We will go for videoconferences, to create, to participate in work sessions. We can anticipate the creation of more collaboration areas, but also small rooms to do tasks that require concentration or for a videoconference.” The company culture will also have to be reflected as much as possible in the company’s physical locations. "In the coming years, companies will refocus on their values, on the well-being of employees. We are talking more and more about WELL certification , which focuses in particular on acoustic performance, the quality of water, food, access to light, ergonomics, mobility and the beauty of spaces."

#6 Sustainability of contactless digital technologies

In 2020, consumers experienced brands primarily through digital technology. “Contactless technologies have exploded,” rejoices Damien Lefebvre , Executive Vice President at Valtech . “We’ve made a leap of about five years in terms of the penetration of certain technologies, from connected virtual experiences to augmented reality.” With the QR code and the product recognition system, the cell phone has become essential for highlighting content. “It’s a real remote control! It’s only been around for 12 months and it’s a real game changer! We can personalize content according to needs, by offering the right content at the right time, which is something we’ve never seen before.” Digital technology has also transformed customer relations and demonstrated that it is a powerful marketing tool. “Connected consumers are found in companies’ databases. We can use all this data to better target sales strategies.” This is a good indicator of the sustainability of these concepts, even if a return to physical mode is expected.

#7 Remixing and authenticity on social media

If 2020 was marked by authenticity on social media, the trend is far from fading in 2021. “People are looking for the real rather than the perfect,” emphasizes Marie-Janelle Larivée , digital strategist at the J'aime agency. For brands, we want to know the people behind the company, the why and the how rather than the surface of advertising and marketing.” Popularized by TikTok, very short videos and remixing (reusing existing content with a personal touch) will continue to be popular. Personalized one-to-one conversations will still be favored in 2021. “The pandemic has reinforced this aspect. Customers are going to stores less, but they still want to be able to question the company and get a quick answer when buying online. Posts with buttons that encourage you to send a message, Messenger exchanges, chats on websites and discussion groups are all avenues to strengthen the connection with your community.”

#8 Eco-responsibility takes on its full meaning

The ecological transition of companies is accelerating. The health crisis has reawakened the urgency to act. "We have been starting a shift for about two years with ecodesign, a trend for 2021," assures Yourianne Plante of Éco Entreprises Québec . The ecodesign approach takes sustainable development into account in all stages of product design. It refers to reducing the impact at source, integrating recycled materials and the recyclability of packaging. "And there was this announcement from the Quebec government in February 2020 regarding modernized selective collection that will involve businesses and municipalities. It is about promoting a circular economy model with an integrated vision of recovery and recycling. Businesses will be at the heart of this system,” says Ms. Plante. “They will be asked to review their packaging so that it is eco-designed and will be able to benefit from eco-modulated rates, that is, more advantageous rates based on the good practices implemented.”

#9 Definitely more local sourcing

“It is clear that the pandemic has shaken the supply chains of the agri-food sector,” says Marilou Cyr , Director of Zone Agtech . The crisis has reinforced the objective of increasing our food autonomy. Local supply has become a major issue that Quebec will now prioritize. This involves promoting local purchasing. And it concerns consumers as much as producers. Here is what is coming in 2021, according to Ms. Cyr: “the promotion of local products in grocery chains, more diversified production among small local businesses, which represents a challenge for us, and precisely the growth of greenhouses that are adapting thanks to new technologies to supply food chains and consumers year-round.”

#10 More committed companies

Giving meaning to the choices we make will take on new importance in 2021. “Consumers will think about why they consume these products and why they choose to support this company rather than another,” explains Patrice Côté , director at Basta Communication . To build customer loyalty, companies will have to take concrete action on issues of parity and inclusion, social justice, the environment or preserving local. Reputation is more than ever linked to societal issues. “For an SME, social responsibility is advantageous for standing out,” notes Patrice Côté. “The challenge now will be to communicate your commitments,” particularly by communicating authentically and transparently on social networks.