February 12, 2021 is also the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Ox. The Year of the Ox is considered a year of change, innovation and prosperity.
Pickvogel immediate thought: What better timing is there for innovation and change than NOW?

Major changes from the outside always force companies to adapt. However, change can be a very positive thing and promotes innovation automatically. The big change we as a society went through was, or rather is, the Covid pandemic. Companies and leaders are adapting to this situation and are aiming to meet employees’ needs while fighting to remain economically stable. While tackling these issues, we hope there still is room for innovation. Now, “innovation” does not mean that you have to turn your entire business upside down. Even small adjustments can start a wave of innovation and trigger new impulses in your organization.

Our thoughts on innovation for 2021:

Rethink your POS (point of sale) system
The point of sale is moving from a physical point of sale to a technological POS. POS systems are undergoing a rapid growth and accelerating automated sales processes, sales & inventory tracking, and facilitating integrations with other platforms, i.e. accounting services to better track your cash flow. As a company, you should consider accepting mobile payments, if you aren’t doing so already, and benefit from the “big data” digital POS systems generate. 

Embrace digital commerce
This does not mean that a business with a physical venue is out of luck. People have gladly supported their local neighborhood businesses and by doing so, these smaller local businesses have filled gaps in supply chains. If you find the thing that makes you stand out and attracts your neighborhood to your venue, you’ve also innovated your business.
But: if you see the slightest possibility of building a digital commerce branch for your business, grab that opportunity and build a trust-worthy environment. Although e-commerce is nothing new to the industry, the level of trust is still poor.

Automate processes
RPA Developers and Analysts are in luck, since the industry will be looking more and more to automate business processes that can easily be taken over by technology. We are talking about simple activities, i.e. replying to mails, but also more sophisticated tasks, i.e. interpretation of application and data analysis. Especially repetitive activities should be “outsourced” to technology in order for your company talent to focus on activities that challenge them more and where they have the feeling to contribute an added value. Research has shown that specialists who exert their brain to a greater extent may be more exhausted in the evening, but at the same time more fulfilled than if they had done repetitive work all day.

Don’t disregard the call for sustainability
2020 has given us a strong reminder that our planet and our environment shouldn’t be taken for granted. We should anticipate threats to the natural world more clearly and demonstrate that every one of us can make an impact. As a company you can still count as a true trailblazer in the industry by showing the results of your efforts to decarbonization, for example. Make a plan on how your organization could commit to sustainable solutions and continue by gathering your environmental and social data for reports. It not only portrays your efforts to do good, but also constitutes you as an innovative company.

Digital HR innovation
Think about it: your employees are a crucial part of your company’s success. And now be honest to yourself: are you getting the most out of your Human Resource practices? Think about an Onboarding app, think about an L&D (learning & development) app. Both are on-demand learning tools that can always be accessed and create an added value. Or maybe a new internal dashboard for your HR that gives an overview of your talent pool and everybody’s company affiliation and history. This lets you anticipate future employee wishes and employee development areas.

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…that is if you’re interested in a new opportunity as a specialist or looking for new talent to boost your company performance.
Of course we had to end on a self-promotion note. But let us explain for a second: Pickvogel is all about innovation. At Pickvogel, we are on a mission to revolutionize the recruitment process. As a company, you can rely on Pickvogel to provide the talent you've dreamt about. As a job seeker, you can navigate the job market with a confidence that matches your talent. We want you to empower you to ditch the conventional methods of placement and benefit from our digital innovation. Sign up and get your dream match. As a specialist or a company.