Hybrid and remote work are still very much large buzz words in the Pro AV world. Recently, Shure commissioned the global market research firm, IDC to find out the missing key to productive hybrid work. The research uncovered how organizations can better position themselves to handle modern day working environments and optimize day-to-day communication, company culture, employee and client experiences, and team satisfaction.
Analyzing attitudes from over 600 interviews across the U.S., China, Japan, the U.K., France, and Germany, the research assesses what is standing in the way of successful hybrid working environments.
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Per the research, organizations worldwide understand that hybrid work is here to stay but realize that many current set-ups are not effective; 94% of respondents expect hybrid meetings to remain a pillar of work, yet more than 50% are pushing for a full return to office to improve corporate identity and collaboration. Organizations want to improve collaboration and believe a full return to office is the solution; IDC research says otherwise and indicates that a return to office is not the only answer. Data shows that businesses are overlooking key opportunities to improve the employee experience regardless of location, and that an investment in high quality audio results in more collaborative and flexible ways of working.
Ignoring the "Invisible Influencer"
Many hybrid meetings have challenges. At the executive level, this reality can trigger a demand for a complete return to office to enable effective collaboration. This is where the great mismatch lies. According to the IDC InfoBrief, a full return to office, or a fully remote workforce, fails to capture the value that can be realized with hybrid work, which can enable effective communication with colleagues globally. But hybrid technology must work repeatedly.
When a hybrid system repeatedly fails to work, employees are left frustrated. When asked about the main challenges of hybrid work, respondents highlight:
- Poor communication and collaboration abilities
- Distracted employees and low attention levels
- Technology shortfalls that impact collaboration
While audio quality is not the only concern raised when specifying solutions for a hybrid environment, audio quality has an impact on both individual and group productivity. Research by Eryn J. Newman and Norbert Schwarz found poor audio quality causes listeners to perceive the speaker as less trustworthy, less intelligent, and less likeable. In addition, the content being presented is seen to be less important. Scientific research underscores that high audio quality leads to increased trustworthiness and suggests that the person with the best audio quality will probably be considered the meeting's best contributor if others have not optimized their equipment.
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What Else Was Learned about Hybrid Work?
There were several factors standing in the way of successful meetings that Shure and IDC were able to uncover. These include, but aren't limited to:
- When hybrid meetings don’t work, employees are frustrated, highlighting poor communication and collaboration, low attention levels, and technology shortfalls .
- Research finds that poor audio quality in hybrid meetings results in listeners perceiving the speaker as less trustworthy, less intelligent, and less likeable.
- Research underscores that high audio quality leads to increased trustworthiness, and the person with the best audio quality is considered the meeting’s best contributor.
- Of organizations who are thriving financially, 72% use professional audio equipment.
- Of those who see stable economic performance, 63% use professional audio equipment.
