Why Remote Technologies Are a Cornerstone for Successful Hybrid Work Models

The hybrid work model is now becoming a norm across organizations worldwide. However, it can be challenging to implement. Consequentially, IT teams across companies are busy trying to meet organizational needs. To understand the state of hybrid work, Teradici recently conducted a study. Check out the key findings here.

Working models have undergone rapid transformation across organizations in nearly three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, it was remote work, and now, it is hybrid work that is becoming the norm. However, â€œhybridâ€ means different things to different industries and organizations, making it tricky to implement. Consequentially, IT teams have been busier trying to cater to varying organizational and team needs. Simultaneously, they are also in a position to influence organizational cultures and policies.Â

To understand the state of hybrid work this year and beyond, Teradici surveyed IT leaders across various industries. A major takeaway is that as companies are adapting quickly, they still face several challenges. Hence, digital workspace implementation will be a cornerstone of hybrid work.Â

The following are a few more findings in detail.

See more: Offer Better Employee Experience With Remote Desktop Solutions: Report

More Companies Are Investing in Digital Workspaces Technologies

According to the study, about 75% of respondents said their staff used remote desktops. About 43% said more than half of the staff actively used remote desktops, while 34% said less than half of the staff used remote desktops. About 13% were either looking to implement or already trying our remote desktops.

When it comes to hybrid working, employee experience is critical, and it seems companies have understood the benefits of digital workspaces and remote desktops for improving the experience. Companies are willing to invest in better hardware and technology because it can boost productivity and flexibility, according to 57% of respondents. About 54% saw higher employee satisfaction and retention levels, while 53% saw business continuity. About 39% found improvement in operational costs and efficiencies.Â

The hybrid work benefits have led to increased budgets for remote work technologies and digital workspaces. About 30% of respondents felt spending would increase by 5%-25%, and 18% estimated it to increase by more than 25%. While 16% estimated the spending to be flat, there is a clear picture regarding the growing adoption of hybrid work technologies.

Companies Face Challenges Implementing Remote Technologies

Despite the benefits, the respondents faced several challenges when implementing remote work technologies. The biggest challenge, according to 59%, was how employees experienced issues with latency and pixelation, making it difficult to use remote desktops. About 34% found the management and maintenance of remote desktops cumbersome, and 32% felt the implementation process for remote technology was too difficult. Besides technology, staff attitudes were also a barrier to adopting hybrid work solutions. While 25% said staff adoption of technology was a hurdle, 17% said a lack of internal buy-in during the evaluation stage was a challenge.

With the rapid adoption of hybrid technologies and models, administrative computing issues must be addressed. For 50% of respondents, creating or revising the existing remote work policy is the biggest computing issue. For 40%, procuring additional hardware for staff is a priority, while 37% said setting up VPNs is a barrier. About 35% highlighted the process of installing virtual machines, DaaS, or VDI for remote desktop usage as a big computing issue.

Hybrid Work Environments Are a Work in Progress

Between February and May of this year, 40% of respondents said their offices had reopened, which means hybrid models are in progress and are improving for many companies. About 17% said their offices would reopen by summer, while 7% expected them to reopen by the year’s end. About 7% said their offices went fully remote.

Since hybrid is in full swing, have the processes led respondents to compromise on data security and user experience? About 34% said neither had been compromised, while 32% said both were adversely affected. About 25% said employee experience took a back seat to security, and 9% said the opposite.

With hybrid work, have processes led respondents to compromise on data security and user experience?

Source: Hybrid Work Report 2022Opens a new window

HR and Tech Requirements Go Hand in Hand

According to Teradici’s previous year’s reportOpens a new window , user experience was one of the primary reasons companies didn’t want employees working remotely on a permanent basis. So, what were the primary challenges in technology and company culture due to hybrid work models this year? The study found that this time, too, there were significant challenges related to user experience. About 29% cited latency, connectivity, and performance as the biggest challenges, while 19% said it was collaboration. This was consistent on the company culture side. About 30% struggled with team building, and 24% found training and supporting employees challenging in a hybrid work environment.

From a technology perspective, the biggest challenge was security for 14% of respondents. For 13%, it was remote desktops and workstations. Deploying the right devices to the right people on time (12%), hardware support (10%), and proactive device management (4%) were other key technology challenges in a hybrid model.

From the HR perspective, management procedures have also been a challenge (15%), followed by productivity (13%), hiring and onboarding (12%), and corporate policies (6%).

These HR and technology challenges have led to a few operational challenges. About 35% said technology maintenance with the biggest problem, and 20% said processes were a challenge. Costs of hybrid work (17%), remote innovation (15%), procurement (11%), and shipping (1%) were other operational challenges.

See more: Challenges and Advantages of Hybrid Work Setup You Should Know

Companies Are Taking Steps To Improve Hybrid Employee Experience

The hybrid work model has been around for a while, and many companies have learned valuable lessons from the challenges they have faced. As such, companies are taking some steps to improve the employee experience in such a setting. About 44% said deploying remote technology will help employees be more productive irrespective of where they are. For 55%, it was their company handling IT for hybrid work in-house. About 23% will employ service partners to set up hybrid environments.

Technology has a crucial role in enabling employees to work from anywhere. Simultaneously, companies are taking a holistic approach to improving employee experience. About 29% have implemented mental health education and workplace programs, 23% have created more online socialization opportunities, and 18% have policies to combat online fatigue. Besides these steps, companies are also streamlining their systems and processes (28%) and implementing long-term training and education (24%).

The Future of Hybrid Work

How people work has changed, and that is impacting how HR and IT teams are working. Businesses are already investing in technology to facilitate the varying working scenarios, and companies are accepting that they still need to learn and grow. Simultaneously, they also realize that hybrid models can succeed only if employee experience is given the same importance as technology.Â

It is clear from the report that companies are looking for technology with high-security provisions and performance. At the same time, they also want technology that enables seamless coordination between managers and employees. This is where IT teams have a strategic say in company policies.

As hybrid models evolve, the IT perspective will become more critical. They aren’t just solving technical problems but also are in a position to influence the trajectory of company policies and culture. By taking feedback from the management and employees, they can recommend remote technologies and strategize working models that will serve companies’ and employees’ needs.

How are you leveraging technology to overcome the challenges of the hybrid work model? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .

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