Hybrid & Mobile Employee Study

Owens Corning wanted to better understand the digital work-life of employees who are highly mobile (sales, field-based roles) and those in hybrid office/home setups. These groups depend heavily on technology for collaboration, reporting, and customer interactions, but their needs and pain points varied widely. The research aimed to uncover inefficiencies, identify critical unmet needs, and inform IT strategy and employee experience initiatives.

KEY BUSINESS QUESTIONS
• What are the primary digital pain points for hybrid and highly mobile workers?
• How much time is lost to technical friction each week?
• Which tools, workarounds, and support models are most effective?
• What opportunities exist to improve the employee digital experience and reduce attrition risk?

APPROACH
• 30 in-depth interviews with hybrid and mobile employees across functions
• Persona development to segment by role, mobility, and digital fluency
• Highlighted “a day in the life” scenarios, friction points, and IT dependencies
• Experience metrics including overall digital satisfaction scores and weekly time lost to tech issues

KEY FINDINGS
• Time Lost to Tech – Both groups reported 1–2 hours per week lost to connectivity, device, or software issues, significantly impacting productivity.
• Mobile Is Resilient but Constrained – Field sales relied on workarounds, hotspots, and peer support when CRM or connectivity failed. They valued hands-free setups but struggled with outdated devices and inconsistent IT follow-through.
• Hybrid Feels Stalled by Systems – Finance and office-based leaders cited frustrations with findability, slow legacy systems, and impersonal IT call center support. Many relied on in-person IT desks or informal peer help to resolve issues.
• Shared Desire for Proactive Support – Both personas wanted IT that was more proactive and human: mobile workers to better enable home offices, hybrids to provide clear, named contacts instead of ticket queues.

IMPACT & RECOMMENDATIONS
• Delivered two actionable personas (“Highly Mobile John” and “Hybrid Office Alex”) used by IT, HR, and leadership to prioritize improvements.
• Highlighted quick wins: clearer IT points of contact, better device options, improved search/findability across tools.
• Recommended strategic initiatives: mobile-ready laptops with cellular SIMs, simplified IT playbooks, and training paths for different digital fluency levels.
• Findings informed Owens Corning’s employee experience strategy and pilot programs around IT support and digital workplace investments.