Info-Tech Research Group has released a new report highlighting the latest industry research for information technology (IT) departments and their leaders managing hybrid organizations.
More than 500 professionals, located mainly in the United States and Canada, were interviewed as part of the State of Hybrid Work in IT: A Trend Report (in English, registration required).
Key findings from the report revealed that hybrid working in IT is everywhere, with 100% of industries and job levels offering some form of hybrid or remote working. While this shows that organizations are open to flexible working options, it does mean that IT needs to support the whole organization while operating efficiently to support employees, the report says.
The Info-Tech report divides the study into two sections: technology and people.
The report found that hybrid working models in IT increase productivity and that IT is much more efficient when some degree of remote or hybrid working is involved. Companies reported more hybrid and remote work opportunities for IT while reporting a higher efficiency score compared to organizations that offer few hybrid or remote options.
The report also revealed that hybrid working has also accelerated IT process modernization and organizational digital transformation. More than 50% of respondents said they relied less on paper copies and the volume of printed pages in favor of digital options. Info-Tech suggests that this statistic offers businesses an opportunity to rethink their relationships with print vendors. The company reports that resources spent on printing can be reduced or reallocated, which will help save money.
In addition, process and communication modernization has also grown, with 63% of respondents making major changes to conference room technology due to hybrid working.
While hybrid working has been a major adjustment for many companies, most respondents indicated that service desk support has been maintained; 35% who noted that support had actually improved. Only seven percent of IT organizations report a decrease in service desk support, indicating that hybrid or remote working has not caused any setbacks to the service desk.
When it comes to industry-specific statistics, Info-Tech’s research found that the industries where the volume of service requests grew the most were government, media, information, telecommunications and technology. According to the company, with the global expansion of digital products and services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in volume for media, information, telecommunications and technology organizations were expected. For government, the shift from in-person to online work for administrative and knowledge worker roles has brought additional support from IT to help equip employees and end users with tools to perform the work offsite.
Hybrid working has also changed the way the entire IT workforce operates.
This remodeling of the workplace has changed the criteria people have to apply for a job. Just under 50% of respondents indicated that hybrid work options are one of the most important considerations when looking for a job, and that employers should consider adopting a hybrid environment if they don’t haven’t already done so.
The report also found that hybrid working could help smaller organizations in a declining economy. According to the company, this work model can retain essential employees needed to survive an economic downturn.
“Hybrid working is a critical enabler of organizational success when resources are scarce, due to the productivity benefits and cost savings it has demonstrated,” the report states.
Additionally, the report’s findings show that hybrid working can alleviate the primary challenge of remote working. Hybrid working still provides office presence, which remote working fails to do. It provides a fallback option in case technology or other barriers impact work and communication with co-workers. According to respondents, two or three days in the office is the preferred formula for employees and managers in hybrid work situations.
Finally, the report suggests that while hybrid and remote working options have changed the workplace and are now the preferred style of work for many, they require more “manager attention, connection and leadership.” “.
As hybrid and remote working take root in society, Info-Tech suggests that leaders and IT departments are able to keep up and make the changes needed to run organizations effectively.
The original article is available at IT World Canadaa sister publication of Informatic direction.
French adaptation and translation by Renaud Larue-Langlois.