Hybrid Workplace Needs New Technology To Boost Collaboration and Participation: Canva Study

Companies also need new tools to promote communication and collaboration across distributed teams, according to the study.

As the world finally starts reopening after two major waves of COVID-19 and vaccine rollouts, employee preferences about how they want to work have changed. According to Accenture’s Future of Work Study 2021Opens a new window , 83% of employees prefer a hybrid work model, as it combines the best of both remote and onsite worlds. However, this is not the only change that has taken place at workplaces.

Canva recently released the Bridging the Hybrid Workforce Divide reportOpens a new window . The report surveyed 1,000 employees and revealed a few interesting insights about some of the shifts taking place at workplaces post pandemic and how organizations will have to deal with them.

The following are a few key insights from the study.

Also read: 3 Ways Hybrid Workspaces Create a Better Experience for All

Hybrid Work May Pose Challenges in Fostering Participation

The traditional work model looked at working onsite as normal and working from home or remotely as an exception. However, this is now changing. According to the study, about 21% of the employees will continue to work entirely remotely, and 38% expect to work in a hybrid way. That means less than half (41%) will be working completely onsite.

While this shift in work culture provides opportunities for workers to choose the work environment they need to become more productive, this poses challenges in fostering participation and inclusion for a significant number of employees. The study showed that over three quarters (78%) felt that promoting participation and inclusion across onsite and remote employees is a challenge, which means new technologies and processes are necessary to make hybrid work successful.

New Collaboration Tools May Be Needed

During the pandemic, most organizations successfully moved their communications online through instant messaging, video calls, and emails using platforms such as Zoom and Slack, as well as a host of other tools. However, despite having a good collection of tools and technology, more than three-fourths (77%) of employees felt that collaboration was more difficult during the pandemic than earlier. Further, 84% of employees said they need better technologies to collaborate in a virtual workplace.

The collaboration-related challenge when it comes to hybrid workplaces is facilitating seamless communication between employees working from home and onsite. This requires tools and software that bring creation and collaboration in one place. These collaboration tools need to be intuitive. For example, about 45% of the respondents said that they struggle when using presentation software, which brings down the overall productivity.

AccordingOpens a new window to Canva’s chief evangelist, Guy Kawasaki, “Legacy software and tools were not designed to meet the demand of the hybrid workforce that is emerging after the pandemic. Today, online collaboration is at the core of almost all work and employees need tools that promote creativity, make collaboration easy, and bring people together.”

Also read: 3 Ways Businesses Can Improve Productivity for the Hybrid Workforce

New Tools Are Needed To Foster Creativity and Engagement

Besides communication tools, a whopping 85% of respondents said they need new software that engages the audience and promotes creativity to make remote work successful. To achieve this, many people are turning to presentations as the preferred mode of communication. However, in a digital world where interactivity and visual communication are prevalent, the old format of slides may be boring.

Canva’s study showed that 89% of employees frequently multitask or become distracted when others present. The top distractions include checking social media (28%), finishing other office-related work (28%), reading the news (26%), and online shopping (25%). About 27% even said they use the bathroom, while 26% said they prepared a meal or snack during the presentation. What made these presentations boring? The most common criticism is that the presentations are long (60%), have too much data (54%), and are uninspiring (52%).

According to Dr. Michelle McQuaid, a psychologist and organizational change expert, “One way to keep people engaged is by ensuring that people can feel connected, by asking a question, or showing gratitude. When we have a joyful connection with someone, this increases the pleasure hormone, oxytocin, immediately reducing anxiety and improving concentration and focus.”

Organizations Will Have To Include Everyone Equally

When done right, hybrid work can make workplaces bring people together. An interesting insight from the study was that whether a person is introvert or extrovert plays a significant role in choosing to work in a remote or hybrid environment. For example, introverts were 19% more likely to let go returning to the physical workspace completely. As such, organizations must set up their workplaces in a way that ensures no one is overlooked.

Further, 54% of employees think that it is easier to participate, brainstorm, and collaborate on tasks and ideas when working remotely. This means that the right technology can help people to contribute and communicate more easily. Organizations need to ensure these benefits are maintained as in-person activity grows.

Organizations should also realize that people have different comfort levels with different forms of communication. For example, some people may speak well, while some find written communication more comfortable. Hybrid workplaces that implement the right technology and processes can enhance inclusivity, offering employees more choice on how they communicate and engage at work.

Also read: How To Set Managers Up for Success in a Hybrid Workforce

Processes and Technologies Are Key To Succeed in Hybrid Work

As Microsoft put itOpens a new window , “The next great disruption is hybrid work”. Flexible work is here to stay, at least for a long time. Most organizations became reasonably successful in adopting remote work during the pandemic. Now, they will need to adapt to a mix of onsite and remote work. As the work culture evolves, the key to adapting to it is implementing policies, processes, and technologies processes that empower people to participate, collaborate and engage more effectively. Organizations that do it right will realize benefits across employee happiness, productivity, inclusion, and innovation.

 How do you think hybrid work culture can be made successful? Do share with us on LinkedInOpens a new window , FacebookOpens a new window , and TwitterOpens a new window .