If you thought the future of B2B work was certain (like me and many others), we have been proved wrong. Again. Independent research in our annual 2021 B2B Report showed B2B businesses need to be ready for change, or they will risk getting left behind. As the conversation changes about the environment of our work, hybrid – or working both in-office and remotely – is the focus that B2B businesses should take moving forward. 

In our B2B report, 27% of those surveyed stressed that flexibility to work remotely as needed is important to make a positive transition back to the office. Hybrid work is projected to be the model of work that best meets the needs of employers who want employees in the office for some time and for employees who are not comfortable with a full return. The future of B2B is hybrid and having the right technology for your employees is key, with 53% of employees expecting businesses to budget for new technologies and 49% of US workers saying they’re likely to leave their job if they do not have access to new technology. Luckily, powerful tools like Adobe Workfront make hybrid work easier than ever. 

Strengthening Your Employee Network

While working remotely, it is important to utilize tools that make it easy for remote workers to feel connected. Using real time collaboration tools offered with Adobe Workfront allow all workers to feel in on the project, while offering managers a broad view of the collaboration in the group. Two-thirds of remote workers worry about colleagues making changes without their knowledge. Collaboration tools keep isolation to a minimum and productivity and engagement on high. 

Aside from prioritizing a project launch date, teams need to put feedback and recognition on their list. Recognition is a powerful motivator for employees to do their best work, increasing engagement and buy-in to their company vision. Adobe Workfront is the perfect hybrid collaboration platform, encompassing deadlines, communication between project teams, streamlining between management and employees, creating an engaging experience for employees working virtually or in-person. In our first Adobe Workfront blog, we discussed the different ways to strategically plan and prioritize teamwork across any department or team. 

Adobe Workfront: What Does My Business Need?

While Adobe Workfront is the core collaboration tool for hybrid workforces, its additional products can you help achieve specific business goals.

• Workfront Goals helps you determine what needs to be accomplished now to drive future results. 19% of employees say that a strong vision for the company’s future is one of the most important competitive advantages that a company holds. Goals makes sure everyone is on the same page, even if they aren’t physically together for morning huddles. 
• Workfront Scenario Planner puts confidence behind every decision by using data to empower leadership to make decisions in an agile manner. Evaluating which fork in the road to follow is easier when you can directly compare multiple scenarios. No matter the location of your team, everyone can see and be involved in the discussion about the best plan of action. 
• Workfront Fusion is a no-code integration platform that gives your team a connected solution, streamlining business and technology to cut down cost, minimize time spent on projects, and increase productivity. And if you’re working with other technologies (like Adobe Experience Manager, Creative Cloud, Microsoft, Outlook, or G-Suite), Workfront connects to make collaboration easier across platforms. 

Overcoming Pains with Gains

Many employers also recognize that they cannot afford to leave their employees feeling lost at sea. A reported 52% of employees are looking for work elsewhere, a trend that has increased 17 points over the last year. Some employees are feeling showered by never-ending work check-ins, leading to greater zoom fatigue and decreasing productivity. That’s because instead of water cooler or casual lunch conversations, companies are having a lot more meetings. 69% of full-time remote workers said their job meetings increased over the last 15 months, leading to a worse job performance. Many conversations that would happen with the turn of your chair are now scheduled as 15-minute conversations, often ending in “let’s circle back,” or “let’s touch base at a later date,” with seemingly no end in sight.  

Scheduling when workers are available to come into the office is an additional logistical issue that employers need to prepare for. Now, remote work needs more planning for days of the week that employees will be present in the office. Mondays are different than Thursdays, so it is important to communicate with employees about when they are most productive. Cue another 15-minute zoom meeting on your calendar. 

Transitioning to a new hybrid calendar isn’t easy. With Adobe Workfront, you do not have to worry about a lack of employee engagement, check ins, and communicating across teams. Managers have access to their teams’ progress; from assigning the work, to the execution and launch, Workfront is there to guide every step of the way to stay efficient. Connections to Microsoft and Google products keeps everything in one place, avoiding any additional headaches brought on with multiple tabs and toggling. 

Do what you do best at work. Leave the planning, check-ins, and stress to Adobe Workfront. Get started here.