Remote Work Has Increased Worker Productivity and Satisfaction, ISG Says

ISG Future Workplace Summit will distill 2020 lessons, predict pathways to 2021 success

Experts with Stanley Black & Decker, REI, Kraft Heinz, Sodexo, AARP, CBRE, Mars, MassMutual, BlackRock, the University of Tulsa and more will share insights

The rapid transition to remote work during the past year has increased worker productivity and satisfaction, paving the way for enterprises to determine their optimal, ongoing hybrid work model and put in place technology and capabilities to deliver it successfully, say experts with Information Services Group (ISG), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

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“The next challenge is to define the right operating model and put in place the technology, security and employee support to maximize the future of work.”

The firm’s digital workplace experts will share insights on the digital, physical and human aspects of the future workplace, along with leaders from Stanley Black & Decker, REI, Kraft Heinz, Sodexo, AARP, CBRE, Mars, MassMutual, BlackRock, the University of Tulsa and more, during the virtual ISG Future Workplace Summit, March 10–11.

“In early 2020 the accepted belief was that a remote work solution would require six to 12 months to implement,” said Dee Anthony, ISG director and host of the ISG event. “Thanks to the unthinkable, many organizations implemented a reasonably successful remote work transition in less than a week.”

Citing independent research, Anthony said there has been an approximate 30 percent increase in productivity from working from home since the pandemic began. He noted that workers are putting in as many as five extra hours per week from home. Overall, employees are reducing commute time by more than one-and-a-half hours a day, which equates to approximately $4,500 in saved expenses per year for each employee.

“With productivity up and commute time down, many of the commonly accepted barriers to working from home have proven to be false fears, and as many as three-quarters of employees say they would prefer to continue working remotely between two and four days a week indefinitely,” Anthony said, citing the research. “The next challenge is to define the right operating model and put in place the technology, security and employee support to maximize the future of work.”

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The ISG event will feature keynote addresses on how leading enterprises have been transformed by the virtual work experience, designed virtual communities and put people at the heart of workplace transformation. Speakers will include Robert Castello, CIO, Corporate & Global IT Solution Delivery, Stanley Black & Decker; Stacey Johnson, head of Leadership & Culture for the Kraft Heinz Company, and Alfu Miah, vice president, IFM Business Development North America – Corporate Services, Sodexo.

Chris Putur, executive vice president, technology and operations at REI Co-op, will share REI’s focus on creating a hybrid way of working, connecting and belonging. Brian Clancy, who leads consumer care learning and performance improvement for AARP, and Brennan McReynolds, senior vice president and global digital lead for CBRE, Inc., will explore the technologies that support employees and new opportunities for integration, automation and artificial intelligence.

Reflecting on the widespread move to online learning to support dispersed employees, DeRetta Rhodes, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief people capital officer for the Atlanta Braves, will join Summer Davies, senior manager, leadership and talent, Mars, Inc., and other leaders to discuss how learning and development can empower employees.

Paige Francis, vice president for strategic initiatives, IT and CIO for the University of Tulsa, will discuss how to provide a seamless integration between the physical and virtual environments to increase productivity.

Dante Myers, Ph.D., vice president, people analytics, insights and research for BlackRock; Frank Cottle, chairman and CEO of Alliance Virtual Offices and AllWork.Space, and Ankit Saxena, people analytics and workforce planning leader at MassMutual, will explore the elements of maximizing employee output, including gamification, mental health assessments and cybersecurity training.

Entrepreneurs from Anthill, Noonean and Openpath will each pitch how their innovative technology will add the most value for businesses. After questions from the ISG Startup Challenge judges, audience members will vote on which technology they would be most likely to implement in their own organizations.

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