EPISODE · Aug 6, 2025 · 1H 15M
Sterling Parker: Why Tech at Work Is Reshaping Flexible Work
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Sterling Parker, Senior Vice President of Global Solutions and Services at Ivanti. Sterling is a recognised leader in workplace technology and digital transformation, with deep expertise in helping organizations of all sizes – from global enterprises to fast-growing startups – navigate the evolving world of work. In this episode, we dive into the findings of Ivanti’s latest report, which gives insights into how leaders can build workplaces that are not only more efficient but also more human, flexible, and future-ready. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ivanti’s latest “Technology at Work” report reveals a striking insight: while 73% of office workers and 83% of IT professionals consider flexible working “high value” or “essential,” only 23% of employees say their current job is highly flexible - highlighting a major flexibility gap that organisations must address to attract and retain top talent. The study also explores the widening flexibility gap, the rise of shadow AI, and the critical balance between optimising technology and empowering people. Leaders need to hear the feedback from their teams. In terms of what’s preventing them – whether it’s perception or reality – from having flexibility in their day-to-day job. If you’re trying to address something without first hearing what your team demands in terms of flexibility, then you will have a hard time marrying the demand to the business objectives. That’s a delicate balance. If you’re not defining what success looks like for an individual, how are you going to be able to measure, as you pivot to more flexible work, whether or not that is really leading to the outcomes you need as a business to continue to invest in that flexibility? To redefine flexibility, it comes down to the mutual benefits involved in how individuals define ‘flexibility’. From what I’ve seen, it happens at a team level, especially when you’re working on different objectives. BEST MOMENTS ‘Lack of investment from businesses is leading to this 23% feeling like they don’t have any flexibility.’ ‘There’s real cost in time spent with family, there’s real cost in the commute, and people weigh those options.’ Since COVID, individuals are more willing to leave businesses for flexibility. Refusing to adapt will increase the likelihood of losing skilled employees, which will cost the business. ’ ‘When top talent leaves, or isn’t being attracted, then you’re going to have an innovation stagnation.’ ABOUT THE GUESTS Sterling Parker is the Senior Vice President of Global Solutions and Services at Ivanti, where he leads the company’s worldwide support, services, and solutions strategy. With a deep background in IT operations and customer experience, Sterling is responsible for ensuring that Ivanti’s clients—ranging from large enterprises to small businesses—can securely and efficiently manage their digital workplaces in an era defined by rapid technological change and evolving workforce expectations. Discover more about Ivanti’s most recent report here. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL speaks with Sterling Parker, SVP of Global Solutions & Services at Ivanti, to unpack a leadership challenge that’s quietly reshaping every enterprise operating model: Flexibility is now a talent requirement… but most workplaces still treat it like a perk. Sterling brings insights from Ivanti’s latest Technology at Work report, revealing why the future-ready workplace won’t be built by chasing productivity alone — it will be built by designing work that’s efficient, human, and sustainable. The flexibility gap leaders can’t ignore The report uncovers a striking disconnect: 73% of office workers and 83% of IT professionals say flexible working is high value or essential but only 23% of employees describe their current job as highly flexible That gap isn’t just a culture issue — it’s a competitive one. Because when flexibility expectations rise and workplace reality doesn’t, talent doesn’t “wait it out.” They leave. And when top talent exits (or never joins), innovation slows. Sterling calls it out clearly: losing talent creates innovation stagnation—and the cost compounds fast. Flexibility isn’t free — but inflexibility is expensive Sterling highlights something leaders often underestimate: employees calculate flexibility in real-life terms. There’s a cost in commuting. A cost in time away from family. A cost in burnout. Post-COVID, people are simply more willing to switch employers to regain control over their time. Refusing to adapt doesn’t preserve performance — it increases attrition risk. Listening is the strategy A key message in this episode: don’t design flexibility from the boardroom. Sterling stresses that leaders must hear directly from teams what’s blocking flexibility — whether it’s perception, policy, or workflow reality. Without that feedback loop, it becomes almost impossible to align employee demand with business objectives. Flexibility is not “one-size-fits-all.” It’s negotiated at the team level, shaped by goals, responsibilities, and trust. Define success or you can’t scale flexibility Sterling also offers a practical leadership test: if you haven’t defined what success looks like for an individual, how will you measure whether flexible work is producing outcomes worth continuing to invest in? This is where flexibility becomes operational — not ideological. Clear expectations + measurable outcomes = flexibility that works for both the business and the employee. The shadow AI warning The report also points to the rise of shadow AI—tools employees adopt without formal governance, often to move faster and work smarter in environments that aren’t meeting their needs. That’s both an opportunity and a risk: opportunity, because teams are hungry for efficiency risk, because unmanaged AI introduces security and compliance exposure Why this episode matters For enterprise leaders — especially in highly regulated sectors like insurance and financial services — this episode is a wake-up call: The workplace isn’t just competing on salary anymore. It’s competing on time, autonomy, and trust. Because the future of work won’t be won by the companies that demand presence. It will be won by the ones that build workplaces people don’t want to escape from.
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Sterling Parker: Why Tech at Work Is Reshaping Flexible Work
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