Hybrid Workplace Report, 21% of Companies Will Adapt

A new report by eir Business and Evros details the future of Irish business from a survey of 200 ICT companies around the country.

The report tells us that hybrid working plans are the future of the Irish business landscape. The push COVID has given many companies to strategize and adapt to the pandemic shows us there is an alternative to office-only jobs.

ICT decision-makers were asked several questions, the first of which was when the health restrictions are working will things go back to normal at their company. 21% said they will not continue with office-based working, 39% said it will be a hybrid system, and 40% will return as normal. 62% had also said it completely changed the way their business operates.

Adapting post-pandemic

ICT leaders are now left with the task of continuing the growth of their business with this new series of challenges COVID has brought on. When asked what are the most important things in the future the highest answers were, 79% said growing profit/revenue, 42% said continuity and business resilience, 37% said cutting costs and 35% said improving customer experience.

Only 28% felt rethinking their entire business strategy is the most important, and 12% said rethinking their digital strategy. However, the tools to allow this change may not be there yet as 47% of respondents said they do not feel they are ready for the future working world in terms of ICT.

Another report by insurance and advisory company Willis Towers Watson estimated that a third of full-time workers will still be working remotely by 2023. This compared to 2% three years ago, and only 21% of this sample of ICT companies said they have a hybrid working plan.

Willis Tower Watson noted this means 1 in 10 Irish organizations will have the resources to develop new dynamic and more flexible workplaces. 13% of this sample of ICT companies would say their progress of modernizing and digital optimization of their workplace is complete.

15% said their work was somewhat complete, 44% said modernization is ongoing, 10% said they just started and 18% said there have been no plans put in place. Cloud Access Security is also a concern as only 32% of the sample said they have started to move towards cloud technology.

The report also details how beneficial hybrid working can be for the future of businesses post-pandemic. Businesses save money on office space, offices can move to a smaller space as they do not need to facilitate the space. This is also as workers can achieve a greater life-work balance as they cut out or lessen commuting and have greater autonomy over their work and day.

Carbon budgets are another push factor as company leaders need to adapt to stay under these CO2 emission caps. 51% of the 200 ICT companies felt the reduction of emissions is a benefit of hybrid working plans.

The other highest answers of hybrid workspace benefits were reduced expenses and company overheads at 49%, 35% said downsizing office space, and 34% said transforming outdated work practices.

Concerns of hybrid workplace

Another report done by The National Remote working Survey noted that in mid-2020 Ireland had some of the highest remote working rates at 40%, versus the EU average of 33.7%. However, there are legitimate concerns about the hybrid working model.

One concern is the difficulty that would arise from a split team, for example, 15 people in the office and 5 people working from home of a team of 20, might result in the 5 people missing information in the office. There is also the social aspect of in-office workers arranging plans company-related or not can result in remote workers missing out.

There is also a concern in terms of networking and at-home tools, 56% of respondents said employees have the tech to work from home. However, 1 in 3 said they’re concerned that all employees remote or in-office have fair and equal access to meetings, opportunities, promotions, etc.

When asked respondents answered 82% of them would be working from home, 8% from co-working spaces, 2% in public spaces, and 8% said other. There is also the concern of disconnecting from the workspace and digital exhaustion can be bad for mental health, 42% of the sample said they are concerned about digital exhaustion and mental health.

This will require companies to adapt and employ mental health and wellbeing programs to ensure employees can balance their lives.

“Constantly being in the same environment and having no interaction aside from virtually and with the people you live with does not replace the planned and unplanned in-person diverse, casual interactions and collaborations. This experience has highlighted the importance of office culture for me.” Mark Higgins, Sales Director SME, eir Business

When asked what concerns you about a hybrid working environment, the highest answers we as follows. 42% said digital exhaustion and mental health, 40% said the loss of workplace culture, and 36% said ensuring equal access of opportunity to remote or in-office workers.

While the hybrid working plan has its benefits, ICT companies will have to adapt further and invest in the wellbeing of their employees and their company as a whole.