Data indicates two-thirds of businesses will change operating model to focus on employee experience

EMEA business leaders are out of touch with what employees want in the hybrid workplace experience, and 66% of organisations plan to adopt a different operating model than they had before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey from Unisys Corporation. A majority (61%) of these organisations say these new models are designed to ensure employee safety and to achieve more productivity (47%). Almost two thirds (64%) say the key driver for them is to create a better overall employee experience. The findings are included in a new IDC white paper, sponsored by Unisys, titled Digital Workplace Insight: Seeking Digital and Experience Parity to Support the Hybrid Workforce.

Further key EMEA highlights from the survey include:

While work location and schedule that is conducive to family life is important for 66% of employees in EMEA, only 49% of business leaders see this as important.

Fifty-one percent of employees said that empowering teams and individuals is crucial, but here the discrepancy was even higher with only 31% of businesses acknowledging this.

This gap is significantly lower in North America (63% of employees and 51% of businesses).

On the other hand, 55% of business leaders say that access to the most up-to-date technology for the task at hand is key to an ideal employee experience. This is only important to 43% of employees.

Concerns about remote working differ significantly

Similarly, business leaders show much more concern around the practicalities of remote working than employees:

For 38% of business leaders, difficulties communicating and working with other team members is a concern. Only 24% of employees agree.

Thirty-eight percent are concerned about the lack of management oversight and visibility as a result of home working, compared to only 7% of employees.

While 38% are worried about potential difficulties accessing data, only 11% of employees believe this is a challenge.

Using unfamiliar or new work from home technologies is seen as a challenge by 41% of business leaders, but only by 10% of employees.

Overall, employees are far more positive about the new remote working model, with 33% not seeing any or just a few noticeable challenges that come with remote working.

“One of the outcomes of 2020 has been the rapid technology, process and policy adjustments that most organisations have made to support hybrid ways of working,” said Holly Muscolino, Research Vice President, Content Strategies and the Future of Work at IDC.

“Across the globe, almost 40% of the workforce was forced to shift to remote ways of working almost overnight, while the remaining 60% continued to adapt and find new, safer ways to do their jobs. Now we know that, for most, there will be no return to the business models of 2019. Remote employees will continue to comprise almost one-quarter of the global workforce, albeit with some variability across industries. The hybrid workforce – remote, on-site, in the field and transitioning between locations – is here to stay, and the temporary changes organisations put into place throughout 2020 must become permanent going forward,” said Muscolino.