Modernizing Offices, Infused With AI, is Key to Enhancing Hybrid Work and Increasing Productivity
According to a Cisco survey, 72% of employees are positive about returning to the office, but want better-equipped spaces for collaboration and brainstorming.
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[Image source: Krishna Prasad/MITSMR Middle East]
The office is far from dead. While offices are beginning to repopulate with hybrid work schedules, a Cisco report found that while employees are positive about the return to the office, they find that the spaces are too focused on individual work rather than environments that foster collaboration and creativity.
As global companies transition to hybrid models, employers and employees recognize the need for office spaces encouraging collaboration and innovation. Employers agree that technology and AI investments are essential to enhancing productivity and attracting top talent, but few have strategies to implement the technology throughout their organization.
“Making the office a magnet means creating experiences that employees value,” said Cisco Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration, Jeetu Patel. “To achieve this, organizations must embed hybrid work solutions, infused with AI, into office spaces to foster collaborative experiences for everyone.”
Here are the key findings:
Employees Seek In-office Collaboration: Employees feel positive about returning to the office, provided the spaces support seamless collaboration, social interaction, and creative brainstorming. While 72% of employees are positive about returning to the office, only 47% believe their work environments are equipped for this new era of hybrid work. It’s time to advocate for and design office spaces that truly support how employees want to work together.
Office Tech Needs to Change to Enable Collaboration: 85% of employers say that most of their office space is allocated to personal working spaces, creating individual working environments and encouraging individual working habits. Technology infrastructure and integration are major areas of concern across the globe, with ineffective meeting rooms due to inadequate audio and video technology hindering productivity and collaborative efforts. Among employers who find meeting rooms ineffective in boosting in-office productivity, the main reason is insufficient audio and video endpoints.
Employers will Invest in Office Design and Tech to Attract Top Talent: 81% of employers already plan to redesign workspaces in the next 24 months. But these enhancements are not just cosmetic; 90% of employers in the Americas, 94% in Asia Pacific, and 85% in European countries report that collaboration-driven workspace enhancements are highly or moderately effective at attracting and retaining top talent. This is a testament to the belief that the right environment can be a powerful draw for a skilled workforce.
Organizations Realize the Value of AI in Increasing Productivity: Employers are strongly committed to integrating AI into the workplace. By 2025, 73% will invest in AI-powered collaboration software, with 68% planning to enhance their workspaces with AI technologies. 80% of employers plan to invest in AI for workspaces and collaboration by the end of 2025, recognizing the potential of AI to revolutionize the working environment. This underscores the need to accelerate AI adoption within the workplace to enhance productivity and create a future-ready office environment.
Employers Must Focus on Closing the AI skills Gap: While 43% of employees have access to AI technologies, less than half feel proficient in using them. With 1 in 4 employees not well prepared to use AI, this highlights the need for training and businesses to select AI that meets the organization’s and individual team’s needs.
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