According to a recent Citrix report; if IT teams are to support tomorrow’s remote workforce, they must eliminate the established corporate hierarchies and be more flexible.
The report, involves a sample of 7,500 office workers across the US, France, Netherlands, UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany. Many remote workers are currently utilizing software tools unapproved by IT teams. In some instances, the workers are relying on software that has been unequivocally banned.
The aberrant software primarily falls into two categories: instant messaging and video conferencing.
The shadow IT challenges can be avoided
According to the report, the best way to avoid shadow IT problems in the future is for the IT teams to anticipate and adapt to the remote staff’s requirements accurately.
Nearly two-thirds of the workers interviewed think the pandemic will make the IT teams better understand the human factor in the work environment, while approximately half of the respondents think the COVID-19 crisis will ‘soften’ deep-rooted corporate hierarchies.
The unexpected shift into remote working due to COVID-19 also demanded unwavering trust between managers and employees. 30 percent of the respondents believe more remote working will enhance the level of trust between the two. However, a quarter is hopeful the increased autonomy will continue even after the pandemic.
“To avoid ‘shadow IT,’ enterprises need to make sure that in the future, employees will have the necessary technologies that empower them to productively and securely work from anywhere”
“To avoid ‘shadow IT,’ enterprises need to make sure that in the future, employees will have the necessary technologies that empower them to productively and securely work from anywhere,” said Darren Fields, Vice President, Networking, EMEA at Citrix.
Managers’ concern on employees
Employers shouldn’t be overdependent on technology equipment and ignore their employees’ well-being, especially during this time of the new world of work. In this unusual time, some workers find it challenging to distinguish between their private lives and business. This is expected, especially if the two take place within the same room.