Are companies playing catch-up on adopting ‘anchor’ tech for hybrid?
As employers start to get to grips with a more flexible future, a report from JLL suggests that enterprise firm still have a lot to do in developing their technology strategy for the hybrid age
Very few organisations would dispute that technology is a key enabler of hybrid working, but are companies still stuck behind the curve when it comes to adopting the new technologies that will make hybrid happen?
That’s the question posed in a new report from JLL, the commercial real estate services company, entitled ‘Technology and Innovation in the Hybrid Age’. JLL’s global research paper identifies to 15 ‘anchor technologies’ that are significant for hybrid work transformation. These range from ‘workplace experience apps’ and ‘digital connectivity and infrastructure’ to ‘smart contracts’, ‘VR immersive meeting’ and ‘robotics for cleaning, maintenance and security’.
However, the report says that companies on average have adopted only four of these 15 anchors. The better news is that, by 2025, 78 per cent of companies plan to incorporate more than 10 of these technologies into their workplace and workforce practices. This year alone, most companies aim to adopt between four and six new technology tools.
‘Companies on average have adopted only four of the 15 technology anchors identified…’
JLL surveyed 1,095 enterprise firms as part of its research and found that only 11 per cent of employers are still not offering some form of flexible or hybrid working. That figure was 45 per cent before the pandemic. Six out of ten of the companies in the survey also plan to adopt sustainability and environmental control technologies in the next three years, suggesting that the future is not only hybrid but also green.
The study additionally highlighted that more than a third of workers use ‘third spaces’ such as cafes, hotels and coworking spaces. Companies therefore need to ensure that anchor technologies for hybrid are accessible and effective in those flexible settings behind the traditional office.
Image: JLL
Given the complexities of the technology landscape, with so many vendors and solutions to consider, JLL advocates a long-term roadmap which identifies key stakeholders and assesses essential resources, including budgets. Access the JLL report, ‘Technology and Innovation in the Hybrid Age’, here.
