State of Hybrid Work in IT: A Trend Report

When tech giants can’t agree and best practices change by the minute, forge your own path to your next normal.

Hybrid is here. Now how do we do this?

The pandemic has catapulted hybrid work to the forefront of strategic decisions an organization needs to make. According to our State of Hybrid Work in IT survey conducted in July of 2022, nearly all organizations across all industries are continuing some form of hybrid or remote work long-term (n=518). Flexible work location options are the single greatest concern for employees seeking a new job. IT departments are tasked with not only solving hybrid work questions for their own personnel but also supporting a hybrid-first organization, which means significant changes to technology and operations.

Faced with decisions that alter the very foundation of how an organization functions, IT leaders are looking for best practices and coming up empty. The world of work has changed quickly and unexpectedly. If you feel you are “winging it” in the new normal, you are not alone.

95% of organizations are continuing some form of hybrid or remote work.

n=518

47% of respondents look at hybrid work options when evaluating a new employer, vs. 46% who look at salary.

n=518

Hybrid work model decision tree

Your organization, your employees, your goals – your hybrid work

The days of a “typical” workplace have passed. When it comes to the new world of hybrid work, there is no best-of-breed example to follow.

Among the flood of contradictory decisions made by industry leaders, your IT organization must forge its own path, informed by the needs of your employees and your organizational goals.

All IT work models can support the broader organization. However, IT is more effective in a hybrid work mode.

Stay informed on where your industry is headed, but learn from, rather than follow, industry leaders.

All industries reported primarily using partial, balanced & full hybrid work models.

All industries reported some fully remote work, ranging from 2-10% of organizations surveyed.

Construction and healthcare & life sciences did not require any fully in-office work. Other industries, between 1-12% required fully in-office work.

Move beyond following tech giants

The uncomfortable truth about hybrid work is that there are many viable models, and the “best of breed” depends on who you ask. In the post-pandemic workspace, for every work location model there is an industry leader that has made it functional. And yet this doesn’t mean that every model will be viable for your organization.

In the absence of a single best practice, rely on an individualized cost-benefit assessment rooted in objective feasibility criteria. Every work model – whether it continues your status quo or overhauls the working environment – introduces risk. Only in the context of your particular organization does that risk become quantifiable.

Don’t make the mistake of emulating the tech giants, unless they are your direct competition. Instead, look to organizations that have walked your path in terms of scope, organizational goals, industry, and organizational structure.

Comparative

Your competitors

Info-Tech Insight

Remember, your competitors are not just those who compete for the same customers but also those who compete for your employees.

IT must balance commitments to both the organization and its employees

IT has two roles: to effectively support the broader organization and to function effectively within the department. It therefore has two main stakeholder relationships: the organization it supports and the employees it houses. Hybrid work impacts both. Don't make the mistake of overweighting one relationship at the expense of the other. IT will only function effectively when it addresses both.

Track your progress with the right metrics

This report contains:

1. IT and the Organization
   1. IT Effectiveness
      in a Hybrid World
   2. The Impact of Hybrid on Infrastructure & Operations
2. IT and Its Employees
   1. What Hybrid Means for the IT Workforce
   2. Leadership for Hybrid IT Teams

This report is based on organizations like yours

This report is based on organizations like yours

This report is based on organizations like yours

This report is based on organizations like yours

At a high level, hybrid work in IT is everywhere

INDUSTRY

ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE

POSITION LEVEL

• Executive
• Director
• Supervisor/Manager
• Student/Contractor/Team Member

100% of industries, organizational sizes, and position levels reported some form of hybrid or remote work.

Work model breakdown at the respondent level

n=516

Industry lens: Work location model

Percentage of IT roles currently in a hybrid or remote work arrangement

Work location model by organization size

Hybrid work options

Expense reimbursement

NOTES

n=518

Home office setup: One-time lump-sum payment

Home utilities: Gas, electricity, lights, etc.

Other: Office supplies, portion of home rent/mortgage payments, etc.