The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work primarily by accelerating the widespread adoption of remote work. As pandemic safety measures eased, many companies had hoped to bring employees back into the office this year. However, the Wall Street Journal noted in May that most efforts pushing for a return to fully on-premise work had stalled. In fact, nearly 60% of companies have now put hybrid work policies into place, allowing employees to work at least part-time, outside of the office.
Gartner, a leading information technology research and consulting organization, recently published its annual Human Resources Toolkit to help organizations better tackle both current and future work trends – and noted the challenges involved with organizations entering a “more permanent era of hybrid work for desk-based employees.” They recommended that organizations develop formal policies and strategies to support hybrid work models – and, in doing so, offer employees more control of their schedules. Investing in this kind of worker flexibility, Gartner argues, leads to improvements in worker productivity, work quality, and employee satisfaction.
The report also discusses the downsides that can come with employees working outside of the office. Managers struggle with balancing the expectations of employees and business leadership. They also face challenges involving communicating and clarifying work priorities. Employees, particularly newer employees who have not previously worked in a traditional office setting, may struggle to learn the necessary “soft skills” to successfully navigate the corporate landscape. Finally, there are myriad data and security risks inherent in remote work which must be addressed to protect intellectual property and other vital company information.
As a business that implemented a hybrid workforce policy years before COVID-19, we understand the importance of investing in the right processes and technology to support this type of policy. Learn how our 90-person IT managed services company leverages cloud-based tools to enable team performance, manage cyber risk and retain employees.