Technology is the glue holding the hybrid workplace together. Videoconferencing, collaborative applications, cloud computing – these are all tech innovations that enabled employees to connect and work with their colleagues at a time when they weren’t able to go into the office. Even after a partial return to the office, technology once considered a “nice to have” before the pandemic quickly became an essential component of being able to work.

The shift to a hybrid work arrangement now means that an organization’s IT departments are even more crucial to its daily operations. IT experts, in turn, have to prioritize their focus on people rather than relying on just the tools and technology running the company, according to the Citrix Work Rebalanced report. The right technology can enable employees to work in the way that’s best for them. However, leaders and workers have to factor in the human element into the equation.

In this episode, we hear from a former journalist about the ways in which safety measures brought in by the IT department at his former office unintentionally hampered the business of delivering news. Then associate professor of information management and business analytics Alanah Mitchell talks about the crucial role technology plays in the workplace, while reminding us that it doesn’t solve every problem. We also need to consider the process and people using the tech. Finally, tech company Gusto’s co-founder and CTO Edward Kim talks about their people-first approach.