UK firms expect 44 per cent of staff to work from home 3-4 days per week
New research published by Mitel has explored the efforts of companies to update their business communications in order to better support hybrid work practices. The research, conducted by analyst firm Techaisle, surveyed 1,361 organisations of up to 10,000 employees in the UK, France, Germany, the US and Australia.
UK firms polled said that they expected 44 per cent of their workforce to work from home 3-4 days each week on an ongoing basis, with 20 per cent working exclusively from home. Despite this growing prevalence of remote and hybrid working, just 8 per cent of UK firms said they adopted a "hybrid-first" mindset for operational and organisational decisions. 43 per cent said they only had basic hybrid work capabilities in collaboration technology.
75 per cent of employees said that they would be able to perform their roles more effectively with better communication and collaboration tools. However, only 33 per cent of UK businesses in the survey said that they had mature remote work practices utilising advanced tools for collaboration and communication.
83 per cent of UK firms believe that modern communication tools are vital to success and 69 per cent said they were looking to invest in multi-purpose communication and collaboration technology, as opposed to dedicated, single-purpose devices.
Respondents agreed that having the right Unified Communications (UC) solutions would enable flexibility, provide a range of features and would integrate effectively with other technologies, such as CRM solutions, office suites and project management, in creating an efficient hybrid work environment.
Darren Finney, Senior Vice President, Global Channels at Mitel, commented: “Techaisle’s latest research underscores the urgent need for organisations to modernise their communications experiences in ways that will help employees and customers thrive in the era of hybrid work."
“However, with the amount of persistent change organisations are facing and needs that vary greatly from one organisation to the next, it can be challenging to figure out how to successfully navigate the modernisation process.
