The pandemic has exposed many inefficiencies in the workplace and has caused experts, leaders, and professionals to step back and look at the workplace differently. They’ve had to look for solutions and ask questions such as what unknowns do we face? How will we work, live and flourish in the post-pandemic world? How will Covid-19 reshape our world in the times to come? The rapid shift to remote work provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the way we function and successfully run businesses.
The pandemic has accelerated trends in remote work, automation, and cloud connectivity. In India, the share of work hours spent using physical and manual skills dropped by 2.2 percent, whereas the time dedicated to technological skills was estimated to rise by 3.3 percent, explains Mckinsey Study on the Future of Work after Covid-19. A flexible working environment is key for achieving innovative results and giving rise to better resilience.
The future workplace should empower its employees to work from anywhere to perform better and bring out the best without being confined to the office walls. Companies take various measures to ensure improved networks and connectivity for enhanced employee experience in hybrid environments and provide access to multiple applications spread across multi-cloud environments.
Workforce Capability Enhanced Through Cloud Connectivity
Cloud Connectivity not only makes working more efficient from remote locations, but it has also improved business processes and brought standardization in processes. The cloud computing environment allows employees to get flexibility in terms of location and time. Many companies have eagerly implemented cloud applications, built strong IT support to ensure a smooth hybrid work model, and met the demands of the flexible workforce. Popular cloud-based technologies such as Virtual meetings technology, Web conferencing, Video conferencing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Human Resources Management tools are all used regularly. The adoption of multi-cloud strategies can improve employees’ ability to access public cloud models and on-premises applications from their work environments, and that will further lead to the expansion of enterprise network connectivity using Cloud Connectivity.
Rising Demand of the Hybrid Workplace
A hybrid workplace is built around the user’s ability to access all data across all IT systems, whether cloud-based, web-based, or on-premises. It describes the company’s workforce capability to utilize both – premises applications and cloud-based applications. Most companies have extended support for a hybrid workspace and culture to help their employees progress digital transformation initiatives and adapt to changing business models. Organizations now keenly focus on supporting work-related issues without stressing their employee’s work capacity.
Overall, companies today allow their employees to become decentralized, function in their own time, convenience while creating more stakeholders to safeguard the business goals and critical workflow. By utilizing a hybrid model, companies substantially reduce property taxes and utility bills and make the best use of employees operating from remote locations.
Hybrid Workforce Demands Security Enforcement
A hybrid workforce model requires intelligent technologies and a solid network to ensure that employees work efficiently and securely regardless of their location. Weak security mechanisms or traditional VPNs can be easily accessed or hacked. Therefore, businesses should include a modular approach to security for network access and Zero Trust Network. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is beneficial because it allows workers to access their private applications using the same type of authentication system. ZTNA works better than traditional networks because it reduces cyber-attacks.
According to a recent survey from Accenture on the Future of Work, 83 percent of people prefer a hybrid work model due to their ability to be effective working from the office or remotely. It has been noted that employees who switched to a hybrid work model during COVID-19 experienced better mental health, more robust work relationships and were more likely to feel productive when working for their organizations remotely.
Building a secure and functional workplace is essential for future productivity and hybrid working, and cloud connectivity provides these advantages. Therefore, businesses should be focused on building a secure, inclusive, and robust environment that is empowering from all sides.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the post are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the publication’s views.
