Innovation versus teleworking. Does it favor developing the working day in the office for the purposes of concentration and creativity? Or is it important that the employees choose where to develop their working hours? The debate is on the table and the opinions, of course, are many and very diverse. At least according to the latest study carried out by VMware, a company specializing in business software together with the consulting firm Vanson Bourne.
“The dilemma of distributed work: when innovation and job satisfaction compete” offers a dichotomy that is difficult to reconcile. And it is that 48% of those surveyed believe that the presence of employees in the office helps the company to be more innovativebut on the other hand up to 86% of these feel more satisfied if they can work from home or from where they choose.
With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, companies around the world ‘discovered’ the options of teleworking. In fact, even today many of them continue to promote teleworking, perhaps not so much, but rather a hybrid work modality that allows the worker to work both from home and from the office.
In fact, more than half of workers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East believe that this option – and even full teleworking – will Provides increased mood, collaboration and creativity. Managers think the opposite: a physical work environment helps to bring ideas and creativity to companies.
According to this study, more and more companies have Metrics to track innovation. Almost all organizations in the aforementioned regions that encourage remote work (97%) have metrics to monitor innovation levels, compared to 82% of those that have a strict in-person policy. The big question is Is the perception that physical assistance encourages innovation real or not?
The key: invest in automation and digital tools
“Research has shown that enabling hybrid work creates happier, more engaged, and more collaborative teams. Which can naturally lead to increased productivity. Employees believe they can do their best work when given the option to work hybridly, combined with the right tools. However, business leaders for their part believe that the office is where innovation is driven”, says Lluís Altés, Senior Business Solutions Strategist at VMware Iberia.
The study offers a conclusion by way of answer: companies need formal metrics to measure impact and ensure that perception does not exceed reality. And for that, of course, you have to invest. If by 2023, 6 out of 10 companies in Spain say they plan to invest in digital culture, only 25% will give priority to investments that promote innovation and creativity to get accurate and reliable answers, so how do you know for sure if the place work is better to innovate than working from home?
There is no doubt that automation and digital tools They are an essential help for organizations. The data speaks for itself: 41% of companies in Spain invest in automation to help increase employee experience and productivity; 50% look for automation to help accelerate innovation; and 59% seek to create faster and lower cost operations.
Definitely, Those who invest the most are those companies with hybrid work or teleworking policies, so it is essential to prioritize innovation and productivity of businesses, but not at the cost of workplace flexibility. Investment in digital collaboration tools, automation and team building policies help drive efficiency and success while still offering the flexibility of working in the office or remotely.
Other conclusions of the study are the latent talent shortage among employees, high increase in turnover within cybersecurity teams and automation as a key factor in reducing burnout and facilitating the collaboration necessary to sustain innovation.
