From Fax Machines to Future-Proofing: Reflections on Induction, Then and Now

I don’t consider myself old (some may try to argue I’m middle-aged — I respectfully disagree), but every now and then, something reminds me just how much the world of work has changed since I started out.

Take my very first proper job, back in 2002. The induction process was… memorable, to say the least. It began with a demonstration of what email was and how it worked — the trainer was genuinely surprised (and slightly disappointed) that I already knew. That was followed by an explanation that women were now allowed to wear trousers in the office — a policy change that had apparently caused quite a stir.

There was a hands-on introduction to the fax machine (a rite of passage back then), and an apologetic note that the smoking room for staff had recently been decommissioned. Yes, really. These were the headline items of a professional induction. It all sounds completely ludicrous now, doesn’t it?

But that got me thinking — what will workplace inductions look like another 20 years from now?

Will we be briefing new employees on blackout protocols and how power shortages might impact working hours?

Will there be guidance on water rationing and accessing your allocated share for the day?

Might we be issued UV-proof clothing for walking between buildings due to extreme sunlight exposure?

Or — perhaps more optimistically — will we be introduced to technologies that haven’t even been dreamed up yet? Devices, platforms, or AI tools that will completely transform how we communicate, collaborate, and create?

It’s honestly mind-boggling.

What feels “normal” today may be laughable in another decade. Just like my induction in 2002, what we think of as cutting-edge now will one day become a quaint anecdote in someone else’s blog post.

And maybe that’s the point. Change is constant. Adaptability is the real skill. And curiosity — well, that never goes out of style.