INTELLIGENT SECTION
FINANCE SALES & MARKETING HR SOLUTIONS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
96 % of financial services decision-makers believe hybrid work environments will help recruit talent
Riverbed | Aternity has unveiled that nearly half ( 42 %) of all IT decisionmakers ( ITDMs ) and 38 % of business decision-makers ( BDMs ) in the financial services sector believe that over 50 % of their workforce will remain hybrid postpandemic . Furthermore , the vast majority of financial services BDMs ( 96 %) believe hybrid work environments help with the ability to recruit top talent and it will help them remain competitive in the future .
Despite this , 87 % of BDMs are concerned that as employees return to offices , there may be a disparity in network and application performance for hybrid / remote employees versus in-office employees . These are three of the findings from the Riverbed | Aternity Hybrid Work Global Survey , which provides insights into the current state of hybrid working , highlighting key investment areas and technologies needed to create a highperforming hybrid workplace .
Hybrid work environments are now a prerequisite for new talent . However , in the financial services sector , surprisingly , 59 % say that they are not completely prepared from a technology standpoint , to support long-term hybrid working . To address this ,
ITDMs ( 90 %) and BDMs ( 88 %) plan to invest in technology to support a hybrid workplace over the next 12 – 18 months .
Barriers to success
The report reveals that retaining talent and creating sustainable and highperforming hybrid workplaces are reliant on organisations addressing both human and technology-related barriers .
According to Financial Services ITDMs , the top five barriers to adopting a hybrid work model are :
• Lacking the right technology and equipment in the home setups ( 31 %)
• Poor home / remote network performance ( 29 %)
• Expanded security risks ( 27 %)
• Lack of visibility across the network ( 26 %)
• Lacking the right technology and equipment in the traditional office ( 26 %)
Financial services BDMs agree that increasing security risks ( 37 %) is also one of their biggest barriers to adopting hybrid working across their organisation – two in five ( 42 %), cite employee motivation and wellbeing as the main reason .
Investing in visibility and the hybrid workforce
BDMs are committed to investing in new technologies and ways of working to attract new talent and futureproof their business . By embracing new technology and committing to a hybrid work environment , banks and financial services will increase productivity , allow for a better customer and employee experience and ultimately drive greater revenue . Their top areas of technology investments over the next 12 – 18 months are :
• Better visibility of network and application performance ( 51 %)
• Investing in cybersecurity technology and software ( 47 %)
• Increasing the use of cloud services and Software-as-a-Service applications ( 40 %)
• Investing in end-user experience and digital experience monitoring solutions ( 40 %)
• Investing in application or network acceleration solutions ( 37 %)
“ As the world returns to some new normality , banks and financial services are on the hunt for talent and battling against a shortage that is impacting businesses worldwide ,” said Mena Migally , Regional Vice President , META at Riverbed | Aternity .
“ Hybrid work is becoming a prerequisite for banks to attract new talent and retain a competitive advantage . To provide the seamless experience employees now demand , BDMs and ITDMs need to work together to ensure they have the right technology in place to meet these expectations .” x
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