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A large chunk of the working world has been working remotely – at least part of the time – since the early part of 2020, but many employees are still having a hard time adopting new technologies, according to a new study.
The research from collaboration intelligence company Vyopta, conducted by Wakefield Research, finds that executives at 500 surveyed companies do not fully trust their staff to perform effectively when working remotely.
In fact, that performance has been so poor that nearly one-quarter of respondents said they have fired someone due to errors made during a video call, and 83% in total have seen some disciplinary action due to poor performance during a call.
According to the survey, 58% of business leaders believe it is the company’s responsibility to ensure that remote collaboration technology is working, but the remainder say the burden is on employees to keep the technology up and running.
Unfortunately, the consequences of collaboration tech not working is far worse than an embarrassing moment. It can also cost lost business, as 32% of respondents said they have lost a client or business opportunity because of technology or connection issues, and 41% said they have missed a project deadline.
The survey also confirms what we have been hearing for months: organizations are becoming more open to remote or hybrid work models. Nearly all respondents (97%) said they are currently offering or plan to offer hybrid work options, and 72% said they plan to maintain or expand the number of employees allowed to work a hybrid schedule over the next year, including 29% who expect that number to grow.
As the floodgates open and organizations going back to the office in some capacity are requesting conference room systems and upgrades, AV integrators have a glaring responsibility to make sure that end users are comfortable working with the systems.
That means building meeting room and collaboration systems that are intuitive, easy to use, and accommodate employees both in the office and connecting in from home.
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