For the last two years, companies around the world have adjusted to the global pandemic in many ways. The most significant, of course, has been the shift to hybrid work, allowing employees to work from home on a regular basis, while occasionally coming into the office when needed.
However, with vaccines rolled out and COVID-19 cases on the decline, employers around the world are trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. That’s right, many businesses are now requiring employees to return back to the office indefinitely, despite study after study showing that employees don’t want it, don’t need it, and are willing to quit if they have to.
Well, even more surveys have come out that show the future of work is clearly hybrid work, but employers are still dragging their feet when it comes to building out the infrastructure necessary to manage this shift.
The State of the Industry: Future of Work
A new survey from AT&T and Dubber was released earlier this month, and it featured a wide range of statistics that show the world is prepared for a global shift to hybrid work.
“There’s been a non-reversible shift in the way business is done thanks to the constraints of COVID-19,” said Alicia Dietsch, Senior Vice President, AT&T Business Marketing. “It’s clear that a successful talent program now requires a hybrid work policy.”
In the survey, 81% of respondents stated that hybrid work will be the foremost working model within the next two years. 79% of firms believe that employees have been productive while working from home. And a whopping 100% of respondents stated that they believe hybrid work models will help attract young talent. Seems like kind of a no-brainer for any company looking to grow with the changing times, right?
Well, employers are still dragging their feet when it comes to actually getting on board. 64% of respondents stated that their organizations prefer on-premises work, despite 84% believing that their employees prefer the hybrid work model. Even worse, 72% of businesses have no detailed strategy for hybrid work, and 76% don’t have the correct Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in place to support hybrid work.
Simply put, the disconnect between employees and employers here could have a seriously negative effect on businesses that aren’t prepared to offer hybrid work.
How to Facilitate Hybrid Work at Your Business
You can’t just establish a hybrid work model at your business without a bit of preparation. Tools like web conferencing software to stay in touch, remote access platforms to stay connected, and even password managers to stay secure are all vital when it comes to get your business set up for hybrid work.
In addition to the resources and tools it takes to get the job done, you’ll need to address the cultural shift of your workforce staying at home. After all, productivity is just as important as making your team feel in the loop.
“Firms needs to upgrade their employee technology stack and undergo a cultural reset to prepare for this new normal,” said Gaurav Pant, Co-Founder and Chief Insights Officer of Incisiv.
All in all, the pandemic was an exercise in protecting your fellow human beings by staying away from each other. However, now that hybrid work has become the norm, staying connected while staying apart is the key to a successful business.
“Businesses moved with urgency to distance employees,” said Steve McGovern, CEO of Dubber. “Now they need to do the same when it comes to deploying the tools needed to overcome distance.”
