Hybrid work, how to implement it quickly

With the end of the pandemic and the progressive return to normality, the establishment of hybrid environments presents a significant disconnect between employees and companies when it comes to concerns about reconciling work and family life.

On this topic, Mitel has conducted a study on business communications in conjunction with Techaisle, which provides insight into the challenges faced by organizations that want to modernize their communications to support hybrid working.

“The complexities of choice and deployment, economic uncertainties, and the need to quickly adapt to ever-changing conditions present enormous challenges for organizations looking to modernize, and equally enormous opportunities for unified communications providers to support their customers. in that process,” explains Anurag Agrawal, founder and chief global analyst at Techaisle.

This study found several critical commonalities across all sectors:

• Organizations want to upgrade through convenient and flexible unified communications solutions. Despite early support for hybrid and homogeneous work practices and tools, an overwhelming 84% of organizations acknowledge their importance and believe that modern communications are critical to business success. However, organizations do not want just any solution. 69% of respondents want to invest in multipurpose communications and collaboration technology rather than dedicated single-use devices, effectively reinforcing the value of modern unified communications (UC) platforms. According to respondents, the right unified communications solutions provide flexibility, include a wide range of functionality, and integrate well with other technology solutions such as office suites, project management suites, and CRM solutions, making them ideal for a hybrid work environment. Organizations also want easy ways to purchase modern unified communications solutions. When it comes to on-premises unified communications, 40% of organizations prefer to invest in unified communications solutions as a capital expense (CapEx), while 33% prefer an operating expense (OpEx) model. UC providers that offer flexible purchasing models, including subscription services, are best positioned to attract organizations looking to modernize their communications.

The study reveals the need for organizations to modernize their business communications to support the rapid implementation of hybrid working

• Need to reduce the gap between company and employee prioritizing mental health and well-being. As the so-called “big resignation” continues to take place, 51% of employees expressed concern about conflicts between work and private life, compared to just 23% of employers. Additionally, 34% of employees cited concerns about loneliness while working remotely, while 27% of employers expressed the same concern. And while 50% of organizations reported that they have an ongoing evaluation and feedback process to collect employee feedback, 26% still have no mechanism in place. While there is still much more to be explored to bridge this gap between employee and employer perceptions, the Techaisle study suggests that increased investments in modern unified communications solutions can be a catalyst for more efficient work and connections. between employees, companies and co-workers and help relieve stress and encourage engagement.