Kit Ingwersen
Go-To-Market Lead - Modern Work
In the fast-evolving landscape of hybrid work, organizations face the challenge of promoting employee engagement and performance through new ways of working. At Modern Work Discovery Day on December 14th, we explored how organizations can define sustainable hybrid workspace models and leverage modern technology to enhance work processes and drive performance.
On December 14, 2023, a broad spectrum of organizations gathered at Microsoft Denmark’s headquarters to discover how to foster hybrid environments that promote employee engagement and drive performance while harnessing the potential of AI.
Camilla Hillerup, HR Director at Microsoft Denmark, set the stage by reinforcing the criticality of employee engagement, particularly as we navigate the nuances of hybrid work structures.
“Data shows that employee engagement is as important as productivity for business success.”
– Camilla Hillerup, HR Director at Microsoft Denmark.
Addressing the ‘hybrid paradox’, in which people both want to see more of their colleagues and work remotely at the same time, she emphasized the diverse preferences within today’s workforce that disables one-size-fits-all solutions. Camilla Hillerup emphasized that to succeed with hybrid work, we need the best of both worlds. On one hand, nurturing solid relations in the workplace by providing a physical space for connectivity, ideation and creativity. On the other hand, investing in new technology such as AI to reduce administrative workloads, enable work efficiency, and drive innovation. Claus Sneppen, Associated Partner at Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, continued the conversation by emphasizing the importance of customization when defining hybrid workspace models within organizations.
“The transition from the static post-industrial office workplace model to the dynamic hybrid workplace requires that each organization creates its own unique solution, rather than simply copying the neighbor’s office workplace.”
– Claus Sneppen, Associated Partner at Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies & Author of Hybrid Workplace 2033.
The conversation was followed by a panel discussion on the various needs in modern organizations in terms of future of work. Both Kim Staack Nielsen, Chairman and CEO of Danish HR, and Kim Stensdal, Head of Communications at Danish IT, highlighted the importance of management inviting employees to participate in the decision-making process of the future workplace. Camilla Hillerup further highlighted the importance of leadership taking on the discussion about the frameworks of both hybrid work and AI, not underestimating the need for guidance within these areas.
“It really comes down to creating a new culture in a digital time, and in order to do so we need to consult the people who are part of the culture and ask them how they would like us to do it.”
– Kim Stensdal, Head of Communications at Danish IT
The panel discussion transitioned into expert breakout sessions, exploring different elements of hybrid work. In one session the challenge of relationship building in remote work was addressed, emphasizing how Microsoft Teams can help promote employee connectivity. Among other things, the attendees were introduced to the Icebreaker app in Microsoft Teams, which aims to spark connections by randomly pairing team members to encourage valuable and personal connections across the organization. Other sessions gave the attending organizations expert advice on how to successfully become more AI driven, featuring the vast capabilities of Microsoft Copilot that can help improve the productivity and quality of numerous work assignments.
“Every week, Copilot is learning and improving at a tremendous speed. It is rapidly approaching a level of proficiency where it can craft presentations that I will not be able to improve myself.”
– George Honiball, Senior Manager and Business Developer at Microsoft.
The event gave insights into how organizations can leverage technologies such as Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Teams to enhance work processes and drive performance while also exploring the importance of employee engagement and customization transitioning into the hybrid work era.
Would you like to take part in one of our upcoming Microsoft Discovery Days? See and sign up for our next digital or in-person events here: See all Microsoft Denmark Events – and register for free
Camilla Hillerup: What we learned about hybrid work
Hybrid Talk is an article series hosted by Microsoft Denmark. We have invited thought leaders, companies, and organizations to share their views on the modern way of working and how technology supports the hybrid model. Is the new normal here to stay or does it even make sense to talk about normality in a world-changing […]
Camilla Hillerup
HR Director
