80% of businesses planning partial return to the office

NEARLY 80 per cent of businesses are planning for only a partial return to the office, according to a survey conducted by Cherry Orchard document and information management provider, Kefron.

The Dublin 12 firm announced the results of its ‘2021 Smarter Office Survey’, which was undertaken in May and June 2021, amongst 77 companies across multiple sectors in Ireland including financial, legal, public sector, business services, medical and pharmaceutical.

It revealed that 79 per cent of businesses were planning for only a partial return to the physical office in the recovery phase of the pandemic, with only two in 10 businesses currently seeking to fully return to the office in the coming months.

When reflecting on the experience of a year of remote working, 38 per cent of business reported seeing no change in productivity, 36 per cent seeing an increase and 26 per cent seeing a decrease.

In light the continuing demand for flexible working arrangements post-Covid, almost three-quarters of respondents agreed that accelerating the move to a smarter office, which enables employees to work from home or in-person, will be crucial to their organisation’s future success.

According to the new survey, the main obstacles facing businesses in reframing the role of the office this year include a continued leadership focus on mitigating the short-term challenges posed by the pandemic (35 per cent), outdated work practices (23 per cent), an absence of a digital strategy (12 per cent) and a lack of in-house skills and expertise (8 per cent).

Business leaders expressed a range of priorities for the remainder of 2021, maintaining a connected workforce a top priority, while 26 per cent said that simplifying processes and work practices within the office will be the number one concern.

Managing Director of Kefron, Paul Kearns said: “With the vast majority of businesses preparing for a partial, rather than full, return to the office, it’s now clear that the office will no longer be confined to just four walls. It is becoming a hybrid space where employees can access information from any location securely so they can do their best work.

“Business leaders voiced a number of concerns about the future of a smarter office, especially as it relates to employee collaboration and the threat of cyber-attacks. Going forward, the challenge for organisations of all sizes will be to develop robust systems that increase efficiency, reduce environmental damage, meet the needs of employees and customers alike, and protect their data from various existing and future risks.”