Hybrid working has become the norm across Europe. According to 64% of IT professionals, this is part of company policy. But why do some companies still struggle to get it right?

We examine how the IT industry and the people who work in it can be better prepared for this change in the way we work. What can we learn from it?

Many IT managers now have to manage hybrid teams, but has the transition been easier than expected? And what is the driving force behind its popularity in Europe?

Our research predicts office occupancy will peak this year. We are seeing many companies downsizing their office space because their leases are expiring. Hybrid working, particularly popular in Spain, the UK and Italy, will become the norm for most companies in the future.

After the “Great Realignment,” hybrid working is becoming more popular than ever. For millions of employees, it is already the “norm” and an accepted and sometimes expected way of working.

The ability to work remotely and still feel connected to a physical office space seems to be the preferred way of working for many, especially those in IT roles or an IT company.

Why is IT one of the pioneers in hybrid working?

IT workers are thriving in this new world of hybrid work, largely due to the ease of transition.

For example, Brother’s Hybrid Working 2023 survey of 1,385 participants found that 59% of respondents in the IT and communications sector now practice a mix of office and home working. This was the second highest percentage of all sectors surveyed, behind financial and professional services at 62%.

Although hybrid working has clear advantages, such as a better work-life balance, it also brings with it challenges.

Frank Deneweth, Managing Director at Brother Belgium

When asked how this would change in the future, 68% of the IT industry answered “not at all”. This suggests a positive future of hybrid working for IT teams; They see the benefits and don’t look back.

Compared to other industries, IT respondents were also more positive about how their employer has adapted to hybrid working: 45% rated it “good” and 25% rated it “excellent”.

While hybrid working brings clear advantages, such as a better work-life balance, it also brings challenges, such as the right framework conditions for effective hybrid working.

Why did the IT industry choose hybrid working?

The IT industry has responded well to the changing way of working and is committed to providing flexibility in the future – 64% of IT professionals are working hybrid or remotely as part of company policy.

It shows that the IT industry is better able to handle hybrid working. Previous challenges such as managing multiple external systems leveraged their expertise to ease the transition.

IT managers also felt comfortable with a more decentralized way of working. For example, before COVID, it was common for IT teams to support their colleagues across multiple locations. It also included screen sharing for troubleshooting laptop problems or when using remote access for administrative privileges.

This likely had a significant impact as IT staff became more comfortable with a decentralized setup and were connected to colleagues via remote access systems.

A good example is shared services, where IT teams work from one geographical location and support colleagues and customers elsewhere. While this isn’t an exact precursor to hybrid working, it does suggest that IT teams were better equipped than others to thrive in a new distributed environment.

IT managers excel at hybrid work because their success is based on performance, not hours.

Frank Deneweth, Managing Director at Brother Belgium.

Shared service centers enabled IT managers to view technical configuration across the organization and manage and resolve issues remotely. They often also took on responsibility for cybersecurity across a distributed network, all of the skills needed for successful hybrid work that now help them succeed.

It also appears that many IT employees were more comfortable with collaboration tools like screen sharing and video conferencing due to the nature of their roles. Remote access to devices and software to monitor progress was also well used by software developers and IT support.

What do other IT managers think about hybrid working?

Integration into a distributed network is not the only answer. IT managers also excel at hybrid working because their success is based on performance, not hours.

As long as employees meet important goals and deliver high-quality projects on time, it shouldn’t matter that they need 40 hours a week to reach their goal.

I think hybrid working has improved the work-life balance for IT teams without affecting productivity or concentration.

This is the main reason IT teams have adapted so well. They soon realized the advantages themselves. The type of work also helps. To do our work, all you need is a computer and broadband, which has helped us quickly enter this new reality.

The success of hybrid working depends on the right equipment, both at home and in the office. As we have seen, the workplace is changing. Learn how Workplace by Brother helps IT professionals deliver seamless work experiences to colleagues working in any environment.

This is a post by Frank Deneweth, Managing Director at Brother Belgium. Click here to learn more about the company’s solutions.