10 Nov Exploring solutions for the future of hybrid work

In September 2021, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella joined Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, to discuss the latest data and insights for hybrid work. In this article, we will share our learnings and provide a framework for the future of hybrid work for forward-thinking business leaders.

Last year’s global shift to remote working has now begun to crystallize as widespread hybrid working environments. This fundamental change in the way we do business impacts people, places and processes across organisations. As employers embrace dynamic hybrid working practice environments, business leaders have many options available to better support the unique needs of employees and customers, while realising new innovations.

Building a full-scale hybrid work structure involves thinking about who does the work, where it is done, and how to do it – then developing solutions for each consideration. New work systems should be reflective of the company’s culture and provide engagement opportunities for employees of all roles and tenures. 

Decentralising workers from a physical location also creates communication and cybersecurity challenges that must be addressed. Ensuring equal access and protection requires companies to be agile in ways that they never had to be previously. There are opportunities to integrate new capabilities through the Microsoft Cloud and provide new cloud-to-edge solutions for remote workers to help them embrace a future of hybrid working.

Keeping teams informed 

Empowering people to thrive in a flexible work environment depends on transparency. Only with the most up-to-date information can people make the choices to be safe, healthy and productive. However, without sharing physical space, some teams have been looking for a solution to ensure everyone has the same access to company information.

While this is top of mind due to the ongoing pandemic, communication structures are also vital to maintain in case of future natural disasters, sociopolitical unrest or other large-scale crises. This is where partners like Ricoh have been able to offer value to business leaders. Ricoh provides a range of cloud and digital services around the world to help their customers address the nuanced challenges they are currently facing and could potentially face in the future.

Fostering company culture 

In a hybrid work environment, co-workers and teammates no longer share a physical place. Now, the digital employee experience is the truest reflection of overall company culture, rather than something ancillary to it. Attracting and retaining the best talent at all levels depends on having a functioning digital experience. That is why collaborative apps focusing on the employee experience have become so important. Programs like Microsoft Teams and the Viva Connections mobile app have become the front end of the workplace.

Onboarding  staff can be one of the most challenging management tasks in a remote workspace. Customers are seeing the need to streamline the virtual process by developing a platform integrated with Microsoft technology. Their “Onboarding” platforms can incorporate relevant Microsoft 365 services, such as SharePoint, Yammer and Teams, to refine the onboarding experience and help new recruits feel more engaged in their new role. 

Securing a hybrid workforce

Technology has enabled many processes to seamlessly shift to hybrid working faster than would have been possible even a year earlier. Reimagined meetings, more flexible teams and faster communication are all benefits of a more digitised workforce. Nevertheless, maintaining this unprecedented scale of remote workers still poses challenges for IT professionals. Employees who are not working on-site are no longer protected by on-location cybersecurity infrastructure. Cybersecurity teams are exploring migration to scalable cloud solutions. 

Ricoh provides security solutions to customers of all sizes, helping organisations stay protected with the latest technologies. Many security teams are finding themselves stretched thin assessing new threats. Partners like Ricoh can offer additional capacity and expertise.  

A future of hybrid work

The global workforce can now reimagine almost every aspect of the remote work experience. By acting on employee feedback, we can look forward to a new future. One that has potential beyond merely returning to the office. Developing a close understanding with customers that there are solutions and services that enable more flexible ways of working. A strong, experienced partner can share knowledge, expertise, and integrated solutions. Consequently, you can continue to empower your people – however they choose to work.

We were joined by Robert Epstein, Product Marketing Director at Microsoft talking hybrid working strategies with practical solutions to ensure your processes and information allows your people to Work Together, Anywhere. Watch our webinar 

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