London, 31 March 2022: Global analyst firm CCS Insight has revealed the findings of its annual Employee Workplace Technology Survey, which underline the shifting behaviours in the workforce as businesses emerge from the pandemic. However, the survey also signposts potential challenges facing businesses over the next couple of years as they get to grips with the effects of a shift to hybrid work.
The survey polled 611 employees in the US and Western Europe, exploring their attitudes to technology in the workplace and perceptions of key technology trends. Topics this year included hybrid and remote work, employee experience, devices, communications and collaboration, and emerging technologies including extended reality and low-code development.
Highlights from the survey include:
60% of information workers want a hybrid work model
There is no doubt that employees see hybrid as the future of work, with only 10% of those in roles that support home working choosing to return to the office full time. But at the same time, employees are still anxious about what hybrid work means in practice, with little consensus about what the best approach should be. Flexibility and adaptability will continue to be vital as business leaders work out how to balance business needs with employee expectations as offices reopen.
One in four employees are thinking about resigning in 2022
The pandemic has had a huge impact on employee loyalties and engagement, with the disconnection of working from home leading many people to question their future. Younger workers and those hired since the start of the pandemic are most at risk of attrition. A positive employee experience is crucial, and yet factors that employees identify as central to their working experience, such as colleague relationships (34%) and a healthy work–life balance (31%), are the same things that we see breeding anxiety among employees in the shift to hybrid work.
Communications are converging as traditional calls fall 20% in favour of meeting apps
Businesses’ reliance on online meeting solutions continues to grow, with employees’ adoption of Microsoft Teams and Zoom jumping more than 50% in the past year. This is causing disruption in the traditional voice technology market, affecting the volumes of mobile and desk phone calls, and employees expect this trend to continue over the next 12 months. It also has a knock-on effect on broader technology strategies, with employees expressing concerns about whether their fixed office networks will keep up in the new video-centric, hybrid work era.
“The past two years have seen tremendous change in the way we work, and employees have adapted to those changes remarkably well”, comments Angela Ashenden, Principal Analyst of Workplace Transformation at CCS Insight”. But with the shift to hybrid work, the next two years could make those changes look like a drop in the ocean — particularly when it comes to the impact on companies’ technology strategies. Employees are certain that hybrid work is the way forward, but are worried about what effect it’ll have on the employee experience.
As offices start reopening and businesses take a more strategic approach to their transformation in the context of hybrid working, there’s a risk that employee experience bears the brunt. Given the weaker ties that many staff feel to their employer after the pandemic, business leaders should be concerned. It’s also a big opportunity for suppliers of cloud services and other IT providers to add real value by helping companies navigate the turbulence of a new era of hybrid work”.
The full survey findings are available to CCS Insight clients now. If you would like a free summary of the survey, please contact info@ccsinsight.com
Notes to editors
CCS Insight is a leading provider of technology research. This survey is part of a broader suite of workplace transformation research and advisory services that help clients navigate the enterprise technology landscape and determine the best strategies to compete effectively.
About CCS Insight
CCS Insight is a global analyst company focussing on current and future trends in technology. It provides comprehensive services that are tailored to meet the needs of individual clients, helping them make sense of the connected world. Follow @CCSInsight on Twitter or learn more at www.ccsinsight.com.
For further information contact:
Imogen Tait
Harvard PR
Tel: + 44 (0) 7384 907535
E-mail: ccsinsight@harvard.co.uk