Ivanti: Most IT and Security Professionals Have Limited Options for Flexible Work

Ivanti has rolled out its “2024 Everywhere Work report,” suggesting that a vast majority of surveyed professionals seek the option to work from anywhere, but far fewer are granted employer permission to do so.

According to the research, the vast majority of professionals (80%) say flexible work is highly valuable compared to the ability to work anywhere (70%). Yet just 25% of professionals say their jobs afford them high flexibility, and at least 40% would change jobs to gain flexibility.

Women prioritize flexibility more than their male counterparts: 36% of women consider flexible work essential compared to 22% of men. Additionally, 28% of women view being able to work anywhere as essential, compared to 18% of men. Organizations that take a more rigid approach may be undermining a critical segment of their workforce.

“Employers seeking to hire top talent should prioritize workplace flexibility, as it has a clear business advantage,” said Jeff Abbott, Ivanti CEO. “To effectively implement flexible work arrangements, it’s essential to provide employees with the necessary resources, support, and secure infrastructure to ensure their success. Neglecting these factors may lead to higher turnover rates and dissatisfaction among valuable employees you are trying to keep engaged.”

Although more than 90% of surveyed leaders say employees have the tools to be productive in a remote or hybrid work environment, that’s not the case for IT and Security teams. Just 46% say it’s easy to access tech tools when working remotely. This disconnect has weighty implications for employers — nearly one in four IT professionals (23%) say a colleague has resigned due to burnout.

The majority (76%) say AI and automation can help decrease ticket volume and provide better service. However, research from the Salt Lake City-based company shows adoption rates for AI and automation solutions are low, presumably due to AI’s inability to deliver useful insights based on inaccurate data as long-standing data silos prevent organizations from deploying AI and automation at scale.

Ivanti surveyed more than 7,700 executive leaders, IT, and cybersecurity professionals‌‌ and office workers in January.

Channel Impact^®
In order to successfully enable remote work, partners should help their customers prioritize flexibility as a means of attracting and retaining top talent.