Federal agencies relied on digital collaboration tools to quickly shift to a remote work environment at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but new technologies such as zero trust and 5G are enabling further advancements in hybrid work. As agencies transition to accommodate in-office and remote workers, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recommends federal leaders leverage both technology and people skills, according to the agency’s 2022 tip sheet.

To perfect this hybrid-workforce approach, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities outlined how they’re tackling it during ATARC’s Federal IT Modernization Summit last week…

“We keep saying there’s got to be entrepreneurs out there that are going to figure this out with better tools. But in the meantime, it works. We’re getting our mission accomplished in a very good way. But in my sense, there’s got to be something next,” said VA’s Executive Director of Multi-Channel Technology within the agency’s Veterans Experience Office Nathan Sanfilippo.

Employee morale is a key driver as federal agencies build out their hybrid work models. VA is a very decentralized and geographically diverse agency, with some offices offering remote work, while others may strictly be in person, causing shifts in positions and creating government-wide competition. Sanfilippo is examining how VA could create a more standardized work model to improve employee satisfaction… Read the full article here.