While the pandemic may be (hopefully) winding down, many businesses around the world have adopted either fully remote or hybrid workforces to continue their day-to-day operations. We are truly living in a new age of business operations, where digital infrastructure and properly optimized technical solutions are imperative pieces of this new hybrid workforce system.
First, Some Work-From-Home Statistics And Interpretation
Did you know that 42% of employees would take a salary cut to negotiate a more flexible work-from-home schedule? According to Forbes, employees have even reported improvements in their work-life balance and retention rates by 46%. Many companies are planning on reducing their real estate and carbon footprints by adopting hybrid workforce operations.
“Fun Fact” – Did you know that on-site workers spend over 200 hours a year commuting to and from work?
So, What Does This Mean For Your Business?
We can interpret these stats as a significant sign that things are changing. The American and worldwide economy has found that, through technology and digital infrastructure, our society can thrive working in contactless remote environments. And, even as the vaccinations become more readily available, it may still be quite a while before most people are comfortable with close, office-space, contact.
So, with that said, let’s take a look at a few quick, and surprisingly easy-to-enact, tips that can help your company master the hybrid workforce.
Our Top 3 Tips For Mastering The Hybrid Workforce
Focus On Cybersecurity
The first thing that you and your company stakeholders need to focus on is, no surprise here, cybersecurity. Since the early days of the pandemic, cybersecurity has spiked severely, with cybercriminals preying on the inexperience of remote workers and businesses. In fact, as early as April 2020, the FBI reported up to 4,000 new cybersecurity problems, a 400% increase!
To combat this, we recommend conducting full and thorough cybersecurity audits on a regular basis, ensuring that your security protocols and practices are up to date and in-place. These range from full-system inspections, regularly changing and strengthening your passwords, and keeping your various business software updated.
Working In The Cloud
Remote work and the cloud go hand-in-hand. Being able to access important documents anytime, from anywhere in the world is going to be a staple in digital business strategy going forward. Platforms such as Google Drive have become invaluable tools throughout the pandemic to many companies in and outside the office.
Be sure to work with your team on how you and your business can use this technology to your advantage, properly training your staff along the way. Implementing more structured protocols surrounding cloud services now will be sure to gain you a competitive advantage in the future as Deloitte reports that by 2022, more than 90% of global enterprises will rely on hybrid cloud functionality.
Embrace Digital Communication Platforms & Strategies
One of the number one complaints that we hear about working remotely is how hard it is to communicate and collaborate with your team. However, there are many communication platforms available that can greatly help you and your team adapt to your digital work environment. Platforms, such as Slack, make digital collaboration as easy as AOL Instant Messenger (for all you 90s babies), featuring various one-on-one chats, groups, document attachments, and spaces for company-wide announcements.
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