However, the tools to enable these goals are not necessarily in place; 47% of our sample say they feel prepared for the future world of work from an ICT perspective; meaning one-in-two do not feel prepared. A report by global advisory firm Willis Towers Watson, estimated a third of full-time employees will still be working remotely by 2023, compared to just 2% three years ago. Only 21% of our sample have a hybrid working policy, and according to Willis Towers Watson, only one-in-10 organisations in Ireland have structures that can support the development of a flexible and agile workforce. Additionally, just 13% of our sample would rate their progress towards modernising and digitally optimising their organisation’s workplace as complete.

Now is the time for strategic thinking around how technology and digital transformation can support businesses’ hybrid working future in the long term.