Cisco's new Hybrid Work Survey for 2024 found that less than half of workers believe their offices are well-equipped for hybrid working.
Revealed at Enterprise Connect this week, Cisco's report highlights that while most employees are generally upbeat about returning to the office in some capacity, they find the spaces too geared towards individual work rather than fostering collaboration. 72 percent of employees surveyed by Cisco said they were optimistic about returning to the office but wanted better-equipped spaces for collaboration, while only 47 percent believe their work environments are equipped for the new age of hybrid work.
With over four-fifths (81 percent) of employers saying they have already or are planning on redesigning office space, a further slight increase in that figure in 83 percent of respondents acknowledge that collaboration-driven improvements attract and retain talent.
Both employers and employees acknowledge the need for offices to encourage collaboration and innovation in hybrid models. While employers see the value of technology and AI investments in productivity and talent attraction, few have coherent strategies for implementation.
Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration at Cisco, commented:
Making the office a magnet means creating experiences that employees value. To achieve this, organisations must embed hybrid work solutions infused with AI into office spaces to foster collaborative experiences for everyone."
The Cisco Hybrid Work study surveyed 14,050 full-time employees and 3,800 employers online between December 2023 and January 2024. Participants were from 19 markets across three regions: the Americas (Brazil, Canada, Mexico, USA), Asia Pacific (Australia, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand), and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom).
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Other Compelling Findings
An eye-catching figure was that 85 percent of employers allocate most of their office space to personal working areas, fostering individual working environments and habits that undermined collaboration.
