#hybridwork #assetmanagement #techtrends
With 2023 around the corner, it’s a good time to talk about trends that are likely to affect your office and your workflow in the next year. You don’t need a crystal ball to know that hybrid work is going to continue to have a huge impact on offices across the world, but we want to dive into some interesting details surrounding this developing change in work culture. Here, we’ll break down three hybrid office trends to watch in 2023.
Work-Life Balance Is Here to Stay
A survey conducted at the end of 2021 found that 90% of employees wanted work options that gave them flexibility. The pandemic revealed that there are other ways to work; many people still want to retain the option to work at home at least some of the time, and to adjust their working hours to be outside of the 9 to 5 scope. According to a Gallup survey conducted earlier this year, over 50% of remote workers and nearly 40% of hybrid workers said they’d look for a new job if their company required them to return to the office full-time.
In the last three years—in the midst of a severe virus, increasing burnout, and changes that impacted every aspect of daily life—work-life balance has become a much bigger priority for most. Hybrid workers cut down on time-consuming and stressful commutes, have more control over their work environment, and can be more present for family or personal obligations. Recognizing the demand, Gallup recommends that employers seek out their employees’ perspectives on decisions that will affect them, provide that desired flexibility, and create opportunities for connection outside of sharing an office.
Some experts suggest scheduling space outside of meetings for employees to interact remotely. Virtual coffee breaks are a growing trend, encouraging team members to chat in a more casual environment. It’s often been said that the best ideas come up in the hallways or around the watercooler, and prioritizing connection in a low-stakes setting can majorly benefit energy levels as well as creativity.
Cyberattacks Will Keep Getting Worse
Hybrid offices don’t make it easier for IT departments to manage the plethora of endpoint devices and networks that are vulnerable to cyberattacks. And cybercriminals continue to find new ways to sneak into networks, steal data, and develop more sophisticated ransomware.
The cost of data breaches continues to rise; according to IBM, it’s averaged $4.5 million this year. Common attacks still include stealing data from healthcare providers, extorting large tech companies like Microsoft and Nvidia, and holding operating systems ransom for schools and local governments. The most common methods for cyberattacks in 2022 included swiping credentials, phishing, taking advantage of misconfigured cloud systems, and exploiting weaknesses in third-party software. 2023 will have its share of serious data leaks, expensive breaches, and severe system shutdowns.
But there is some good news: Gartner predicts that companies that adopt cybersecurity mesh architecture, which extends beyond the network perimeter to provide the coverage and flexibility that hybrid work needs, will reduce the financial impact of cyberattacks by 90% in the next two years. While the kinds of cyber threats continue to multiply, so do solutions to combat them. Synergy continues to build and refine an industry leading security stack to help our clients stay in front of this ever-evolving environment. In the next year more hybrid companies will be wise to invest in strong VPNs for their employees working at home, and to provide them with devices that are designed to the latest cybersecurity standards.
Collaboration Will Be More Sophisticated
Continued hybrid work plus increased cybersecurity risks has led to better collaboration tools. The options for collaboration will continue to evolve and improve next year. Using cloud-based collaboration software is increasingly essential for keeping everyone in the loop, minimizing misunderstandings, securely storing your work, and making sure your projects meet their deadlines.
There are your standard filesharing and editing tools, like Dropbox or Microsoft Teams. Beyond that, many teams are embracing tools that enhance productivity and workflow, like Asana, Miro, or Notion. These tools allow you to see your work in different visual forms—from to-do lists to kanban boards. Other tools help with instant communication and knowledge transfer—Slack of course is popular, and LastPass securely shares passwords.
On the videoconferencing front, Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams continue to be the most popular and reliable platforms, but Synergy has been seeing consolidation into the Microsoft Teams ecosystem. In the new year, this technology will be used to make the most inclusive experience possible for those remote teams and employees.
Synergy’s Personalized Support
For 50 years, we’ve been Central & Western New York's top Managed Service Provider for small-mid-sized organizations and global institutions alike. We’ve seen trends come and go and have developed a discerning eye with experience. In an increasingly remote world, we offer in-person support through our extensive IT services to help organizations of all sizes accomplish great things. We’re a proud partner of HP, providing you with devices that are optimized and secured for your modern office.
Contact us today to get reliable and solution-oriented support for next year.