Article How to Protect Your Hybrid Workforce Against Technology Fatigue
By Insight UK / 21 May 2021
By Insight UK / 21 May 2021
It’s now more than a year since the government asked anyone who could work from home to do so. This abrupt shift to remote working disrupted businesses and forced them to adopt new practices and technology to ensure continuity.
Technology was essential in enabling colleagues to communicate and collaborate from any location and in maintaining the same level of customer experience. As the months progressed, organisations, employees and customers became more comfortable with the situation and remote working has become normalised.
The reopening of offices might be viewed as a ‘return to normal’, but many of the changes enacted since last year are likely to become permanent. While it is possible that many people will be eager to return to the office, others will be keen to retain the freedom that flexible working has provided. Businesses have also seen the benefits of having a remote workforce. Fewer staff on-site means office space can be reduced and repurposed, saving money, while a happier, more engaged workforce has led increased productivity. A study by one major bank revealed its staff believe they made better decisions from home.
Indeed, a quarter of Brits will work from home on a full-time basis by 2025, compared to just 5% in 2019.
Going forward, many businesses will adopt a hybrid model that combines office-based and home-based workers.
Most organisations now have a technological foundation in place to support this latest evolution in working. Cloud-based infrastructure provides secure access to applications and data from any location and enables office- and home-based staff to collaborate with each other or communicate with clients.
Videoconferencing tools like Microsoft Teams will remain ubiquitous in the hybrid era and, by 2024, it is estimated that in-person meetings will account for just 25% of all enterprise meetings – a drop from 60% prior to the pandemic.
By 2024 in-person meetings will account for just 25% of all enterprise meetings.
But just because something has worked well for the past 12 months doesn’t mean it will continue to do so indefinitely. It is imperative that businesses refine their approach and the types of technologies they use so that their strategy meets the needs of the businesses and the workforce.
Digital Transformation is as much about culture as it is about technology, and without the latter, the potential of the former will be diluted.
It is thought that Covid-19 has accelerated internal digitisation by up to four years. While this has brought benefits, it is perhaps inevitable that potential issues have reared their head earlier than expected too. An example of this is ‘video fatigue’.
As meetings have shifted from in-person to online, they have had a noticeable impact on the human mind and body. Affected staff are more stressed, less productive, and more likely to be disengaged, according to researchers at Stanford University who have explored the causes of the psychological phenomenon.
One cause is the dramatic increase in eye contact compared to a physical meeting. Because everyone’s face is on screen all the time, it feels as though everyone is looking at you even when you’re not talking, amplifying common anxieties about social speaking.
Participants can also become concerned about their appearance when they can see themselves on the screen constantly. Studies show that people become more self-critical when they view their reflection, and this can undermine confidence.
Another issue with video conferencing is that fixed camera positions tie users to their desk more than audio calls or in person sessions. This inability to move around affects cognitive performance.
Video fatigue illustrates that technology alone is not the answer and that all hybrid strategies but constantly be adapted or assessed to ensure that technology fatigue doesn’t undermine the benefits of innovation.
Organisations need to be able to communicate the benefits of technology, offer training, and ensure that all tools are intuitive and easy to use. There should be efforts to understand the preferences and requirements of staff, and to examine technologies that can deliver the most desirable outcomes.
By 2024 in-person meetings will account for just 25% of all enterprise meetings.
For example, Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) technologies might be a more engaging tool for collaboration and communication than a video conference. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool is using Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist to improve quality of service while reducing physical interaction. For example, the technology enables clinicians in the operating theatre to consult medical experts located elsewhere. It also allows just one staff member to conduct a ‘virtual ward round’, while other participants join remotely. The solution also has great potential for remote training.
That’s not to say video won’t remain an essential tool in the hybrid future – far from it. Practical steps such as setting expectations at the start of any meeting, making video optional, or encouraging participants to take breaks so they can move around can help. Teams also lets users set backgrounds, switch off ‘grid mode’ and hide their own video feed.
But the hybrid workplace will require an adapted approach to get the best out of a hybrid workforce. Organisations that fail to act will be less successful than those who do.
Remote working has provided most businesses with a technological foundation to support a hybrid workplace that combines office-based and home-based workers. But to maximise the benefits, organisations must adapt their strategy to guard against technology fatigue.
Find out how your business can adapt to the hybrid future with an Insight Business Change Readiness Assessment.
