Urgent hybrid work challenge is opportunity for partners

The 2022 Work Trend Index report reveals the urgent challenges and opportunities facing leaders as they evolve to meet new employee expectations as workplaces begin to reopen. Finally able to begin the true hybrid experience – or experiment – business leaders are faced with big questions about the role of the office, how to help teams build social capital in a digital-first world, and how to balance employee expectations with business outcomes.

Already, hybrid work is up seven points year-over-year (to 38%), and 53% of people are likely to consider transitioning to hybrid in the year ahead.¹ However, workers are still considering what role they want work to play in their lives, with data showing that the Great Reshuffle, or movement of workers looking to fine-tune their careers for better work-life balance, is far from over.

For business leaders, this adds pressure to the task of approaching the transition with intention and a growth mindset and defining a successful hybrid work strategy, or risk losing talent across the board.

Hybrid work solutions to meet the urgent needs of business leaders in 2022

Navigating the complexity of hybrid work is a critical challenge for business leaders, and one that

Microsoft and partners are well-positioned to help address these challenges through new and existing Modern Work & Security solutions and services.

We leveraged the trends on the 2022 Work Index to come up with new hybrid work product innovations designed to help leaders reimagine culture, enable new flexible work patterns for employees, and create the hybrid workplace that leads to sustainable growth.

These recent hybrid work product innovations include:

• RSVP feature for Outlook – Note whether you plan to join in person or virtually when you RSVP.
• Front row in Teams Rooms – People in the physical meeting room can see remote colleagues in a more natural face-to-face interaction.
• Teams Connect – Seamless, secure easy-to-use collaboration across organizational boundaries.
• PowerPoint recording studio – Record yourself delivering a presentation and share it with colleagues to watch on their own time.
• Teams Phone – A mobile-first experience with Operator Connect Mobile in partnership with several telecom operators.
• Surface Hub 2S – A collaborative canvas and meetings device certified for Microsoft Teams.
• Viva Inspiration Library – A new Viva Insights feature providing premium thought leadership content and best practices for driving better employee experiences

Learn more about hybrid work trends and Microsoft innovations at the Microsoft Work Lab.

Shaping the future of hybrid work for your customers

For partners who have been on the front lines of rapid, pandemic-induced digital transformation efforts from the beginning, the shift from helping organizations navigate the complex transition from remote work to helping them implement their hybrid work strategy can be a natural way to deepen customer relationships and expand your practice into new areas.

5 ways to get started

Learn more and elevate your role as a hybrid work expert:

1. Share the Work Trend Index with your customers using this OFT
2. Leverage pitch decks for Modern Work, Teams Pitch Deck, Teams Futures Deck, Teams Executive Deck to help drive conversations about hybrid work solutions
3. Deliver Calling/Meetings/Rooms Workshops to drive adoption; co-sell with MRPP Partners for Teams Rooms using Co-Sell Guidance
4. Accelerate deal closure using Phone System offers, Audio Conferencing offer
5. Invite your Business and IT decision-makers to register for the Thrive with Hybrid Work Webinar, hosted by Jeff Teper on March 31, 2022, where they’ll learn how to unlock the power of collaboration with the latest innovations from Microsoft Teams.

¹ Microsoft, 2022 Work Trend Index: Annual Report

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