Sept. 28, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Eide Bailly LLP.

A version of this article appeared on eidebailly.com.

The past several years have seen an exponential acceleration to hybrid work for organizations of all sizes.

This trend has been driven not only by a global pandemic but also years of increasing pressure from employee demands, scarcity of talent and rapid technology advancements that support remote work, aka “work from anywhere” environments.

Organizations have needed to adapt to these trends and adopt new technologies at scale, which has created both opportunities as well as risks.

Key trends driving the need for change

Flexibility: Where and when employees prefer to work has shifted. Based on a 2022 Microsoft Work Trends Index report, 57 percent of current remote employees are considering shifting to a hybrid work model. In the same report, 51 percent of employees who are working in a hybrid fashion are considering a shift to remote-only. In fact, the “Great Resignation” highlights this exact shift in prioritization and desire for more flexibility in the workplace.

Tight talent market: Through this shift to a hybrid work model, it has become easier for employees to find new work that may not be in their immediate geographic area. This is certainly one factor driving the “Great Reshuffle” over the past few years. In a labor market where talent is scarce and opportunities can be found nationwide instead of just in your backyard, responding to these statistics is paramount for employers who want to be competitive with top talent.

Having the infrastructure to ensure your business can be competitive within an expanded national — and global — talent market is critical. This also translates to your recruiting and retention of employees. How they do their work on a day-to-day basis and stay connected as a team are important considerations both from an employee and an employer perspective.

Generational shift: Demands from younger generations entering the workforce and established millennials now working their way to middle and upper management roles have created a significant shift in expectations when it comes to technology and work environment.

Employee perks such as game rooms, free food and social spaces that were prolific before the pandemic have given way to digital chat rooms and a preference for remote or hybrid work policies. Not adjusting to these expectations will significantly impact your organization’s ability to attract and retain the talent you need to succeed as more baby boomers exit the workforce in the coming years and Gen Z starts entering it.

Ensuring employee work-life balance in a hybrid work world

While there are many factors that create and nurture great employee experiences, here are a few key aspects to consider when looking at opportunities to build a modern workplace.

• Engagement: Ensuring that each employee can do their best work based on their preferences while managing their needs to support work-life balance.
• Training: Rethinking how employee education and training is delivered, accessed and shared.
• Building community: Creating opportunities for team members to stay connected and engaged when not in a common geographic area or when working in a fully remote environment.

Solution: Using tools and technology effectively

Staying connected to the team and the work is a priority in a hybrid work model. Having a consistent employee experience and the right access to data and applications to stay effective is an organizational imperative.

Mitigating security challenges and risks with remote work

The move to hybrid work also has created significant cybersecurity challenges for organizations. This has been compounded by the rise in malware, ransomware and other criminal cyberactivity, which can impact any organization regardless of industry or size.

As such, we would be remiss if we also did not discuss the key security considerations that organizations undergoing hybrid work models need to address to develop a culture of security.

• Securing the network and data: Securing your cloud and on-premises assets has never been more critical. Having a comprehensive security strategy for on-premises and cloud applications as well as managing internal policies around data access by employees is a cornerstone to a solid security posture.
• Securing devices: With the rapid shift to hybrid work, the overall organizational network landscape has changed. More devices connecting from more locations requires the right tools and IT management rigor to deter threats. Ensuring that devices have the latest vulnerability updates and having a plan to manage those risks can go a long way in deterring threats.
• Educating your workforce: Help employees understand that every person in an organization plays an important role in securing assets. Encouraging strong passphrase creation, securing home work environments and ongoing education regarding malware and ransomware can greatly reduce your organizational risks.

While this is not a complete list of the complexity surrounding the move to more modern or hybrid work models, it’s a good starting point to consider for your organization as you move toward a more digitally mature future. Eide Bailly can help you align your business needs to the right software tools and technology as well as advisory services.