A new study suggests that over four-fifths of global workers feel more productive while working in hybrid or remote environments rather than in the office.
Research from Zoom and Reworked INSIGHTS, titled "Navigating the Future of Work", has been released. The study has several compelling findings illustrating the evolving nature of work and the dominance of hybrid work as the new normal. Additionally, the research outlines how hybrid work might evolve and offers ideas for how organisations can best prepare by investing in hybrid technologies and sophisticated best practices.
The Navigating the Future of Work report reads:
As hybrid work becomes the dominant model, leaders must embrace flexibility, adapt to employees’ changing preferences, and invest in better DW technology and AI solutions. This will help leaders improve productivity and the overall employee experience and better prepare them for long-term success. With the right strategic foresight, leaders can thrive in this new world of work."
In addition to the eye-catching figure of 84 percent of workers saying they feel more productive in hybrid or remote work, 82 percent of hybrid workers feel more connected to their teams and managers, signalling that workers feel the benefits of the structure extend beyond productivity and flexibility.
84 percent of leaders who responded to the study said increasing productivity was their top priority when deciding the best working structure for their organisation. However, only 64 percent of leaders said they abide by a hybrid model. This suggests there is still some work to do to align workers' and leaders' views around hybrid work and its benefits for productivity, flexibility, and colleague and manager relationships, as well as its potential limitations.
The Future Of Work
Zoom and Reworked INSIGHTS outline that even as organisations settle into various hybrid models, three-quarters of leaders believe it’s very or moderately likely that their organisation will change its working style in the next two years.
The survey also revealed that 82 percent of leaders plan to make their working styles more flexible in the near future. Over the past two years, leaders overwhelmingly report that their working styles have become more flexible for employees, with 50 percent saying it’s become much more flexible and 45 percent saying it’s become slightly more flexible.
Figures On Gen AI Adoption
Zoom and Reworked INSIGHTS' survey revealed that employees have noticed significant flaws in their digital workplace environments. Three-quarters of workers believe their organisation's current tools and technology for remote work need improvement, and 72 percent agree that new tools or technologies are necessary to support remote working.
Gen AI is expected to have a substantial impact on the future of work. While leaders and employees differ on their current views on AI's successes and limitations, both groups acknowledge that this technology is integral to the future. According to the survey, 94 percent of leaders use AI in their organisations, and 84 percent report that integrating AI has positively impacted productivity. By slight contrast, 64 percent of employees strongly or slightly agree that generative AI makes it easier to do their job.
