Nitro report: remote workers need better document handling

Employees are leveraging digital workflows more frequently while working from home (WFH) due to the pandemic, but many lack the right tools and solutions to fully enable remote work, according to a new report from global document productivity company Nitro.

This is detailed in the second instalment of Nitro's The Future of Work report, which examines how workers' document behaviours, productivity levels, job satisfaction, and work expectations have changed during the global COVID-19 crisis.

"We believe we're in the early stages of what is to become a permanent shift towards more flexible work, including largely remote work for many industries, and so as business leaders, we can't afford to be complacent as we think about how we need to adapt to this new normal. Before the halo dims, we need to proactively address the workflow and productivity challenges workers continue to face, especially when working remotely, in order to continue to drive greater efficiencies, effectiveness, and ultimately, engagement amongst employees" says Nitro COO Gina O'Reilly.

According to the report, 46% of workers said their company was only somewhat prepared at best when offices closed in response to the global pandemic.

As remote work becomes a permanent norm for many companies, Nitro recommends that IT leaders commit to digital transformation and invest in the right solutions to improve their organisations.

The report also found 56% of workers are still printing and 50% still scanning, despite over 60% not having printers or scanners at home.

As a result, 95% of workers see room for improvement in how their organisations handle documents.

The report identified immediate needs for IT leaders to provide better training, more automated workflows and remote working tools, and an increased focus on collaboration.

Additional highlights include:

• 40% of workers reported being very productive at home, and only 29% felt moderately stressed, while 10% felt no stress at all.
   
• 64% of workers are satisfied with their job, which is an increase from 60% in 2019.
   
• 66% say WFH policy is very or extremely important to future job opportunities.

"While it is encouraging to see many positive outcomes of remote working, it is important to consider the long-term impacts of such a significant shift within the workplace," adds O'Reilly.

"At Nitro, we're in the process of implementing a new 'Flexible Forever' policy, a hybrid approach to the future of work that enables our team to have the flexibility to work remotely and optimise for their respective personal situations and circumstances, but also have access to in-person time when it makes the most sense – specifically for things that are simply better and easier in-person – team meetings, planning sessions, social events, etc.

"The nature of work has permanently changed and consequently, we must change and continue to evolve our thinking around the concept of workplaces and redefine the role of offices. Ultimately, we believe this is a really exciting opportunity to innovate around the workplace of the future.