Offices not prepared for hybrid working

New research, from AV solutions company Kinly, reveals that despite calling workers back into the office 65 percent of enterprises admit that their office spaces are not optimized for hybrid working.

The complexities of flexible and remote communication may be a factor in the call to return to office, with 28 percent of enterprises naming it as a top challenge. Over half of respondents also say that poor hybrid workflows (57 percent) and outdated AV technologies (58 percent) are damaging the productivity of hybrid teams.

To address these issues investments in hybrid technology -- both in the office and for remote workers -- are being prioritized, with 35 percent of those surveyed saying they will be investing in remote support/management, 33 percent in unified communications and collaboration software, and 33 percent into in-office hybrid meeting rooms.

However, 26 percent cite a lack of analytics around working practices as being a significant barrier to meeting their organizations' priorities such as increasing efficiency (61 percent) and increasing productivity (58 percent). As a result 33 percent of respondents are already investing in an analytics platform for remote working and a further 29 percent are investing in in office analytics platforms.

Simon Watson, Kinly's head of innovation says:

Calling employees back to the office is not a solution to poor hybrid working practices. If anything, it could make things worse.

Effective hybrid working relies on having the right technology in place at home and in the office, and most importantly making sure all these technologies work together seamlessly to give employees the same experience no matter where they work.

If employers are going to adapt to this shift in corporate culture and ensure that workers are happy and effective, both at home and in the office, it all starts with AV technology. Ultimately, effective hybrid working makes a real, tangible impact on talent acquisition, and employee retention that cannot be discounted.

You can get the full report from the Kinly site.

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