Microsoft study identifies training as a top concern of remote working

A new Microsoft report claims that inadequate end user training along with increased security threats are the top concerns resulting from the effects of COVID-19 remote working.

Entitled ‘The New Future of Work: Research from Microsoft into the Pandemic’s Impact on Work Practices’, the report pulls together findings from over 50 research projects conducted by Microsoft teams. It focuses on information workers – people who do non-routine cognitive work creating, manipulating or analysing information – including software engineers, architects, engineers, designers, accountants, administrators, lawyers and marketers. Microsoft claims it is “…the largest compilation of research related to the pandemic’s impact on work practices available to date”.

Unsurprisingly, it confirms that the rapid move to remote working posed significant challenges to IT administrators. Large portions of the workforce had never been expected to work remotely, at least to the extent that was required post-COVID, and thus were not properly trained, shown how to access appropriate tools or given specific guidance for working from home. Consequently, educating end users about best practices for working remotely and training them to effectively use remote tools emerged as some of the most prevalent problems for IT administrators.

At a general level, the extra priorities given to other IT staff included training end users on productivity apps or enabling devices for remote use.

And of course, security has also been a major concern. Many security professionals were faced with an increased workload specifically due to the requirement to educate end users, especially in relation to secure remote access.

In terms of the security and compliance risks arising out of remote working, only 20% of security professionals said they did not encounter any increased security threats. The majority (62%) of the respondents cited the growth of phishing campaigns as being the most significant security threats experienced during the COVID-19 crisis.

Information workers also reported being worried about increased security threats in a work-from-home environment. Specifically, information worker concerns related to downloading content, accessing work information on a private WiFi network that may not be as secure as work connections, and – in line with security professionals’ concerns – falling victim to phishing scams.

And the need to address these training and security-related issues is certainly not going away as further Microsoft research suggests hybrid work is here to stay.

Over 4,000 UK office workers took part in Microsoft’s ‘Work Smarter to Live Better’ survey, conducted in partnership with professional body CIPD. Their responses found that 65% of surveyed employees feel no pressure to return to the workplace when restrictions are lifted. Indeed, almost 20% of UK employees don’t want to go back into the workplace at all!

The reality is that we are likely to see more of a hybrid working approach rather than a remote-only strategy as the UK and the rest of the world moves towards a ‘new normal’. Nevertheless, the requirement for effective end-user education will remain paramount.