Cautiously optimistic: What communications professionals expect from 2021

The communications industry is looking forward to the new year with hope: Just under half of all respondents believe that 2021 will be better for them personally than 2020 (49 percent). For one in four, things will stay the same (26 percent), while only one in five believes that 2021 will be somewhat or clearly worse (21 percent). Men are significantly more optimistic than women. While 61 percent of male survey participants expect things to improve in 2021, only 42 percent of female respondents share this view.

«I am grateful for what I have» was the most defining experience of the past year. Looking back on 2020, one in two respondents agreed with this statement (53 percent). Gratitude thus ranked first among emotional states, ahead of concerns about health (46 percent) and concerns about family and friends (41 percent). In contrast, only just under one in five people experienced existential fears in 2020 (18 percent). Only one in seven said the past year made them more resilient (15 percent).

Virtual collaboration instead of an in-person culture and business travel

Collaborating digitally—preferably from home—and, as a result, fewer business trips: For the majority of communications professionals, these workplace trends from 2020 will continue into 2021. Just under two-thirds of respondents estimate that companies will further expand digital collaboration in the new year (64 percent). Nearly as many believe that working from home will continue to increase, while the culture of in-person work will decline (63 percent). As a result, 59 percent of respondents believe there will be fewer business trips in 2021 as well. Moreover, nearly one in four communications experts believes that sustainability will become increasingly ingrained in people’s consciousness in the new year (24 percent).

By contrast, only about one in five (19 percent) believes that work-life balance will improve. Women, however, are more optimistic when it comes to work-life balance. Compared to their male colleagues, nearly twice as many female respondents expect an improvement in this regard in 2021 (23 percent versus 12 percent).

A Positive Work Environment as the Biggest Challenge

Creating a corporate culture with a positive work environment will be the most difficult task for internal communications in the new year. That is the view of 43 percent of those surveyed. Women place significantly more emphasis on this task than men. While half of all female communications experts consider fostering a positive work environment to be the biggest challenge for corporate communications in 2021 (51 percent), only one in three male communications experts shares this view (32 percent).

According to the respondents, other challenges in the new year will include effectively communicating changes within the company (32 percent) and boosting employee motivation (30 percent).

Lifelong learning is more important than a career
Professional development is at the top of the list of career resolutions for 2021: One in three communications professionals wants to acquire new job-related skills in the new year (36 percent). However, 27 percent of respondents explicitly have no career goals for 2021, and just as many want to pay more attention to their work-life balance in the future (27 percent). Fewer communications experts, on the other hand, are aiming for a traditional career path: Only 14 percent plan to advance within their company in 2021. Planning a career change is even less common: Just eight percent want to completely reorient their careers in the coming year. Even fewer respondents are looking to switch employers to advance their careers (five percent).