Despite early support for consistent hybrid work practices and tools, an overwhelming 84% of organizations believe that modern unified communications is essential for driving business growth and facilitating robust internal employee and external customer experiences, according to a new report from Techaisle and Mitel.
With hybrid working becoming the new norm, some 69% of organizations surveyed want to invest in multifunctional communication and collaboration technology rather than dedicated single-purpose devices. According to survey respondents, the right UC solutions provide flexibility, include a wide range of features, and integrate well with other technology solutions such as office suites, project management and CRM solutions, making them ideally suited to a hybrid work environment.
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The survey also found that employee and employer expectations vary widely when it comes to hybrid work-life balance, Techaisle said.
“Hybrid work is no longer a matter of choice for many organizations,” the report said, as 78% of employees surveyed said better communication and collaboration tools help them do their jobs more effectively. At the same time, only 34% of organizations believe they have mature remote working with advanced communication and collaboration tools.
Report data shows that 20% of full-time employees will work exclusively from home, and 43% are likely to work from home three to four days a week.
The risks of not modernizing communication
Modern communications offerings can help the business grow (73%), while increasing profitability (27%). While most industries believe they have enough technology to support remote work, many are still modernizing their communications tools, the report said.
For example, in hospitality/travel/entertainment/leisure, 30% of companies cited a lack of adequate technology as negatively impacting their employees’ ability to work remotely. The manufacturing industry follows slightly in 26% of the organizations, according to the report.
“Inadequate investment in hybrid and remote work tools and resources can foster an organizational environment where collaboration, productivity and employee engagement suffer,” the report said. “These same inhibitors are likely to impact organizational success and growth.”
Another problem is that it can be difficult to replicate “casual hallway conversations” in a remote or hybrid environment, especially if organizations lack communication technologies.
The survey found that 34% of workers are concerned about loneliness while working remotely, while only 27% of employers are concerned about it. Organizations should be committed to the mental health and well-being of employees, the report said.
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Executives should reduce the frustration and fatigue of management misunderstandings and communication breakdowns.
“In addition to providing the right technology solutions, employers should also listen to and value their employees’ priorities,” the report recommended. “This commitment can be made through consistent assessments and validations of employee concerns and the implementation of appropriate business practices and collaboration tools that address those concerns.”
About half of respondents organizations have an ongoing feedback/review process to monitor employee expectations, but 26% do not, “which we believe reflects a worrying lack of employee engagement,” the report said.
Wanted: multifunctional, flexible solutions for team collaboration
UC is central to the modernization of the organization and is the foundation of a healthy, hybrid work environment, the report said. Team collaboration solutions are a top priority for 54% of organizations, and organizations clearly prefer solutions that are multifunctional and flexible.
Organizations also want convenient ways to purchase modern UC solutions. When it comes to UC on-premises specifically, 40% of organizations prefer purchasing UC solutions as a capital expenditure, while 33% prefer an operational expenditure model.
“UC providers that offer flexible purchasing models, including subscription services, are better positioned to attract organizations looking to modernize their communications,” the report said.
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In addition, the report found that 60% of organizations prefer the availability of a range of the latest functionalities as business requirements continue to change and markets evolve.
The barriers to modernization and the role UC systems play
While there is much more organizations can do to close the gap between employee and employer perceptions, Techaisle’s research suggests that “increased investment in modern UC solutions could be a catalyst for more efficient work and seamless connections between employees, employers and colleagues and help reduce stress and increase engagement.”
At the same time, the investigation showed that this is not happening.
“Organizations are not investing enough in hybrid and remote work tools and resources to effectively meet the needs of a rapidly evolving hybrid-first business environment,” Anurag Agrawal, founder and principal analyst of Techaisle, said in a statement. “The complexity of choice and implementation, economic uncertainties and the need to adapt quickly to changing circumstances present enormous challenges for organizations looking to modernize and equally enormous opportunities for unified communications providers to support customers in that process.”
Providers must provide comprehensive customer lifecycle management designed to evolve as their customers’ needs evolve, Agrawal said.
Lack of operational agility, fear of security breaches, and inability to migrate applications/systems to the cloud are critical barriers to UC modernization across all countries surveyed, according to the report. It also suggested that “the barriers to modernization can be overcome with the right partner.” The report recommended that organizations “choose a beacon that is both an expert in hybrid work efficiency and can provide solutions that make decisions easier.”
Techaisle said the Mitel-sponsored survey included 1,361 organizations in the US, UK, Australia, France and Germany.
