Riverbed “Future of Work” study finds 95% UAE and Saudi business leaders

“Businesses had already been accommodating more remote workers the past several years, but COVID-19 is accelerating this, and the office of the future will clearly look very different with a more flexible and hybrid workplace,” said Rich McBee, President and CEO of Riverbed. “This new study shows that business leaders are now much more comfortable with their teams working remote, however organizations must have the right technology in place to ensure greater productivity and a better remote experience as employees increasingly work from anywhere.”

Performance Issues Have Impacted Employees and the Business

Nearly all (97%) of the business leaders surveyed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia reported that technology performance issues impact the experience of their remote workers. The most common issues – all resolvable – include: frequent disconnects from corporate networks (43%), slow file downloads (41%), apps not working properly (40%), and long response times when loading apps (39%). When asked about the impact these issues have on the remote work experience of employees, business leaders report: increased technical disruptions or difficulties (44%), weaker employee performance and lack of productivity (41%), lack of clarity on strategic priorities (37%), and reduced direct services to customers or clients (37%).

Barriers to Success of a High Performing Remote Workforce

UAE and Saudi business leaders say the biggest barriers to success for ensuring the performance of a remote workforce are: training or manager support (43%), the need for software or technology to optimize or improve performance (40%), and the need for better visibility into network and application performance (37%).

“The last several months have given organizations a better understanding of the barriers to success for creating a high-impact remote workforce,” said Subbu Iyer, CMO at Riverbed. “It’s encouraging to see from the Future of Work survey and in conversations with our customers, that businesses and governments are planning to invest more in technology to boost remote work performance. Riverbed is fully focused on helping our customers maximize the performance and visibility of networks and applications, regardless of the physical location of where employees work.”

Remote and Flexible Workforces Expected to Increase Significantly

Despite challenges, more than one in five (22%) UAE and Saudi business leaders expect half or more of their employees to work remotely (full time or at least half time) after COVID-19.  Additionally, on average, these business leaders expect 28% of employees to work remote after COVID-19. Globally, industries projecting the largest average percentage of their teams to work remote after COVID-19 are those less dependent on physical presence, including financial services (39% vs. 28% before the outbreak) and professional services…