WORK / LIFE : CAREER MOBILITY
collaboration tools and manager training to support remote work , and more than half of employees ( 55 %) want to be remote at least three days a week .
Hybrid work is bringing changes to company policies , procedures , and culture , from meeting times to check-ins , and requires new tools and technology for workers who will be on the move , albeit over very short distances . Pre-pandemic , the trend was mobility : being able to work wherever there was a decent Wi-Fi connection , whether on a plane or in a conference center . Now we ’ ve entered the age of “ micromobility ,” where workers need to move seamlessly from home to the office and back again , and any spot in the home could become a workspace at a moment ’ s notice .
“ The office space is becoming more about collaboration and building a sense of community , while the home will be a place for quiet , focused work ,” says Loretta Li-Sevilla , Head of Future of Work , Collaboration , and Business Incubation at HP .
Even when kids of parents who are working remotely are back in school full-time , they will often still be in the house for part of the day , making the ability to move around or abate noise even more important .
PCs and printers that are agile Success in the hybrid model requires not only new ways of working , but also new tools to make work efficient and productive anywhere . “ That means the equipment employees have at home needs to be just as effective as what they have in the office ,” says Li-Sevilla .
In a February HP survey of IT leaders in the United States , the United Kingdom , and Japan , 60 % of respondents said their companies are providing a stipend — an average of about $ 1,400 a year — for employees to spend on home office tools such as PC accessories , monitors , and furniture .
Employees regularly toting laptops between home and work will benefit from lighter , more secure machines with a slimmer design , longer battery life , and enhanced security features . The latest-gen HP EliteBooks include the world ’ s lightest 14-inch business
“ EVERYBODY ’ S TRYING TO FIND A SPACE THEY FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE IN , WITH THE LEAST DISTRACTION .”
— Kristin Boyd , communications director , Reading School District , Pennsylvania
laptop , and all have Tile , a lost-and-found tracker that can come in handy as employees shift from space to space . The PCs also have thermal awareness technology and can recognize if they are on your lap and automatically lower the temperature .
Printing at home in the age of hybrid work has also taken on a more prominent role , making simple , compact , and better connected equipment essential . During the pandemic , in addition to often running out of ink with everyone printing from home , Boyd found she needed to scan a lot of papers . Last fall , she bought a new printer with scanning capabilities . “ It reduced stress because now we have a device that can handle multiple tasks ,” she says .
HP +, the new smart printing system , allows remote workers who buy an HP + printer to opt in to HP ’ s Instant Ink subscription service , which uses an algorithm to predict ink and toner levels , delivering new print cartridges to nine million subscribers well before they run out . The HP Smart app Print Anywhere feature with private pickup means extra security for hybrid or remote employees who have roommates or are sharing office space , as the printer is triggered by Bluetooth only when the worker is standing next to it .
HP / INNOVATION / SUMMER 2021 58