The pandemic forced businesses into remote work for much of 2020 and 2021. The creation, distribution, and administration of vaccines gave government officials the green light to relax Covid-19 restrictions, leading businesses the license to open their doors again to the public. One debate that took off during this period was the possibility of employees staying remote for those who had that choice.
The world is now open, and while some companies have transitioned to full remote, others have embraced a mix of both – what we call a hybrid workforce. At the center of this new hybrid work model lies one of the most crucial pieces of this transition but least spoken of – the IT teams.
What Is a Hybrid Workforce?
A hybrid workforce alternates between working in an office space and from a remote location. The hybrid work model is a new concept for many businesses, so employers are still getting their heads around it. One exemption is the information technology industry.
Source: moorhouseconsulting.com
The desire to work remotely is clear. A study by Global Workplace showed that 50% of employees are ready to find another job if theirs do not offer remote options.
The hybrid workplace meaning is still vague for many; some businesses have interpreted this as their employees showing up to work 2-3 times a week, while for others, it is a week out in a month. The different interpretations by different management mean companies are looking for a hybrid workplace strategy that fits in with their business model.
While employers and employees know change is necessary, it’s only human to want to preserve some core elements of their business process when choosing a hybrid model. So, we are likely to see diverse forms of hybrid business models in different industries and companies in the future.
Why a Hybrid Work Model?
Source: Metis Strategy
Covid-19 is the primary culprit here. Without it, the call for a hybrid work model wouldn’t have been this vocal worldwide. When the pandemic hit, it forced businesses to adapt, and adapting proved that remote work was possible, debunking the myth of having to be present in a location to get the job done.
Aside from the pandemic showing us that working from home is possible, there was also the great resignation. This event meant fewer skilled workers were available in the labor market to replace the other adept employees who resigned. What ensued was a power dynamic in the labor market, as industries were at the mercy of these talents. Employees’ figuring out working remote wasn’t a bad idea demanded it as part of their terms of employment.
Source: barco.com
And so today, a hybrid workplace model exists in many industries, with employment letters stating the details of that flexibility. While we can trace the reason for the call for a hybrid workplace directly to business adaptability and the great resignation, there are some reasons employees wanted to keep a part of their work schedule remote. Here are some of them:
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Work-Life Balance
Many married couples had more family time. While some found it difficult balancing work life with caring for their children, it was worth it for many. There was also an increase in men taking part in helping their partners to care for their children. For others, they rediscovered lost hobbies, and now those restrictions are lifted. Many have moved to their dream cities, making occasional trips to the office a week in a month.
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Cost Saving
As many employees resume, many realize how much they have saved on costs. Transport and meals were two primary costs that took a good chunk from their salaries when they sat to calculate the amount. This advantage also applied to businesses that didn’t need large office spaces to work and save on rent.
While remote work brings these advantages, pushing desk workers to seek it, there were also downsides for people who couldn’t wait to get back to work for the various reasons:
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Disconnection from the Team
One noticeable disadvantage of remote work, others found out, was that interaction between team members fell. Sending in texts and having Zoom calls isn’t the same as talking in person. It caused a bit of strain in office relationships and affected teamwork.
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Stress from Overworking
There was no defined resumption or closing time during the pandemic, meaning that most people worked overtime. Many could also not switch out of work mode even when done with work. This led to stress and anxiety for many workers.
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Unscheduled Meetings
Zoom was the go-to-meeting application in 2020 and 2021. Many calls were impromptu and disruptive, causing employees to lose valuable production time and forcing many to work well beyond the “official” closing time.
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Control
On the employer side, remote meant they didn’t have as much supervision as the office. For some of them, getting their employees back to the office brings work reassurance.
These are some reasons having only a remote job won’t suffice for some, making hybrid jobs an excellent compromise.
The IT Team’s Huge Role in Establishing a Functional Hybrid Work Model
A good IT team is necessary for a successful transition into a hybrid workplace.
The shift to collaboration tools and other software to support remote workers has meant IT teams face challenges in security and transparency. Incidents like Zoom bombings, where hackers crashed Zoom meetings, were disruptive and a security issue for Zoom.
Like Zoom, many businesses had to build IT infrastructure to enhance productivity with minimal attention to security. A recent survey supports this, as 44% of IT professionals prioritized other aspects of their tech infrastructure, and security suffers. Threats from outside aren’t the only problem, as ensuring the right employees have access to information available for their level is another one. They will need to manage cloud networks as well.
Source: ideagen.com
With businesses thinking of all this, the future of information technology is looking like a big task. And that’s the reason organizations should look to invest more in the IT infrastructures so as not to lag behind their competitors.
To combat these challenges, here are some things the team can do to aid with the safe transition to the hybrid workplace:
- Educate employees so they can make an informed decision
- Adopt clear policies and processes regarding the use of new technology
- Introduce tools that give the IT team visibility and control
Educate the team
The new workplace presents IT teams with a unique problem. Employees use their personal phones and computers to get office work done, causing potential risks. The company does not protect personal computers and phones, but these devices have access to sensitive company information.
During the pandemic, ransomware attacks were at an all-time high. On average, it costs companies between $800 and $650,000. The more shocking part was that 85% of these attacks were through defrauding humans.
The attacks basically used phishing to trick unsuspecting employees into clicking suspicious links on their emails or computers. Educating them and constantly reminding them of the importance of securing themselves against such allows them to be conscious of potential attacks.
Adopt Clear Policies and Processes
The IT team will need to create new policies and processes that support a hybrid workplace. One area is identifying an individual through their login account or a device dedicated to office work. There will also be a need to create accounts where particular individuals have access to various levels of information.
The need to have all of this is to make sure the right set of people has access to company information also the required clearance level to access specific data. The tech community actually has a name for this called Identity and Access Management, and it’s something businesses are taking seriously.
Aside from policies about the identity and access to information of staff members, there is also the need for a coherent plan on what type of applications the company needs to aid a hybrid work model. While the IT team can’t be there all the time, having clear rules on what to watch out for before installing programs on your devices will help improve security.
Introduce Tools that Give Them Visibility and Control
The IT team needs tools or software that help monitor company technology on various networks and devices. Implementing such tools will provide oversight for them, and the two primary ingredients for them to look for are tools that will give them visibility and control.
Final Thoughts—A Teething Process
The hybrid workplace strategy isn’t a perfect one. There are still many things to iron out from both the business and technical ends. Some who resumed the hybrid work model complain it’s difficult to get used to it. Since you are in the office one day and the next day at home, it’s hard to get a work schedule. IT industry trends show us the transition will be challenging, but we believe businesses will learn and get better at managing a hybrid workforce with time.
