9 out of 10 business leaders say remote work is the new normal, according to Microsoft’s Middle East’s Work Reworked research

Microsoft’s “Work Reworked Report” for 2020 found that almost all (93%) of business leaders in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) believe that their organizations will adopt a more hybrid way of working for the foreseeable future.

Commissioned by Microsoft and carried out by the Boston Consulting Group and KRC Research, this year’s Work Reworked Report aims to support business leaders across the Middle East and Africa who are navigating a new world of remote work.

Since the start of the at-home work experience earlier this year, researchers have found that managers and employees in MEA expect to spend two out of every five working days outside of the traditional office setting.

A more permanent change around ways of working is already evident, with a healthy majority (82%) of companies now having a set remote work policy in place. The research found that 83% reported equal or increased productivity with remote working, and a vast majority see it as a powerful way to help retain their best workers. Most MEA business leaders (72%) also reported additional cost benefits such as a reduction in spend on business travel.

However, remote work is not without its challenges. Research has found that many people feel disconnected from their teams, driving team cohesion is not as easy as before, and more work is being done in silos.

Those “watercooler moments” have proven vital to maintaining bonds between colleagues, and organizations will need to look at how to recreate these interactions in the modern workplace.

While technology cannot completely replace face-to-face interactions, it can help to reduce the isolation employees may feel at home in small ways. Together mode in Teams, for example, makes meetings more engaging by placing meeting attendees in a shared background and by showing participants’ faces and body language, making it easier to pick up on the non-verbal cues that are so important to human interaction.

The Work Reworked study is timely during a period where new industry solutions are enabling organizations with inclusive digital transformation for all their employees. To ensure fluid communication and collaboration, online solutions such as Microsoft Teams help people and organizations stay connected and engaged. Industry leaders are now navigating a new world of work, empowered by hundreds of new features and capabilities designed to reimagine work for the future.

Microsoft’s Work Reworked research provides insight into how companies can best support and empower workers as remote and hybrid working becomes the new normal. A survey of 3,000 leaders and employees from large enterprises within MEA examined people’s experiences as remote work became more common throughout the pandemic and asked about expectations around the future.

As work continues to evolve in the new normal, organizations across MEA are adapting to new ways to empower employees, engage customers, optimize operations, and transform products and services.

To find out more about how business leaders in MEA are building resilience and maintaining innovation in a hybrid world, read Microsoft’s Work Reworked Report.

This post was created by Microsoft Middle East with Insider Studios.