We all know that the world of work has been turned on its head.

A recent survey found that 58% of employees want to spend the most and least time in the office for the same reason: more focused work.

This is a key finding of The Work Trend Index survey conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence.

The sample of more than 31 000 full-time employed or self-employed workers across 31 markets earlier this year has also helped inform Microsoft that an employee’s flexibility to work wherever they happen to be allows for more innovative thinking and a more productive state of “flow”.

Colin Erasmus, Modern Workplace and Security Business Group lead at Microsoft South Africa, joins the TechCentral podcast to talk about these findings and what Microsoft is doing to address the complexities of the required new way of working.

Think “people, places and process”, says Erasmus. “The model is simple, the employee engagement is fundamental, and the implications are measured through staff retention and business productivity.”

Microsoft is very aware of every organisation’s pressure to adapt and will always encourage a “security first” approach while not interrupting business as usual, he says.

In the podcast, Erasmus also unpacks some local examples of how Microsoft is solving business transformation requirements and guiding teams to success.

Mark Walker, associate vice president for sub-Saharan Africa at International Data Corp, also joins the discussion to expand on the survey results and shares IDC’s predictions on hybrid working. Based on multiple research sources coupled with desk research that focuses on enterprises in the Global 2 000 list, IDC expects that by 2023, for example, digital transformation and business volatility will drive 70% of the world’s largest organisations to deploy remote or hybrid-first work models, redefining work processes and engaging diverse talent pools.

Don’t miss the discussion.