It's been a tough year for many, but with the imminent rollout of vaccines, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. While many organizations were unable or unwilling to make sudden and drastic changes to their remote working policy pre-pandemic after a 10-month reality check it is generally agreed that businesses must adapt to meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. Creating a resilient infrastructure and culture
A resilient workplace has flexible policies in place to respond quickly to events like the pandemic. Support systems, procedures, and policies need to be in place to ensure that employees can work comfortably and productively from wherever they are. Resetting Normal, a survey by The Adecco Group intended to characterize this new era of work, revealed that this trend is expected to continue, with the average worker wishing to work remotely for at least half of the time (53%) in the future. Leaders and employees alike recognize the advantages of this change, with 8 out of 10 respondents saying that the increased flexibility will be beneficial to both firms and staff.
It's been a tough year for many, but with the imminent rollout of vaccines, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
It's been a tough year for many, but with the imminent rollout of vaccines, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. And this is a good thing for businesses. As organizations come to terms with how their resiliency strategies need to change and how they can adapt to new challenges in an increasingly connected world, we mustn’t forget about our employees.
If you think back over your career so far and consider what types of things have shaped your approach towards working beyond 9-5 hours per day (or whatever other time frame works best for you), then there are probably some areas where you could use some help:
Businesses must adapt to meet the needs of a hybrid workforce.
While many organizations were unable or unwilling to make sudden and drastic changes to their remote working policy pre-pandemic after a 10-month reality check it is generally agreed that businesses must adapt to meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. A resilient workplace has flexible policies in place to respond quickly to events like the pandemic. Support systems, procedures, and policies need to be in place for employees who can work comfortably and productively from wherever they are. This year marks the beginning of a new era for digital workplaces, with more companies than ever adopting distributed working models as an effective way of tackling challenges head-on – including those related to resilience.
Creating a resilient infrastructure and culture
Resilience is about having the ability to recover quickly from disruption. It's about being able to recover from disruption to business processes, as well as IT systems and applications.
To create a resilient infrastructure and culture, you need to think about how your people can be more resilient in their roles. How does an employee respond when they're called into work? Do they have time for lunch? Can they take care of themselves physically so that they don't burn out before their shift ends? What kind of support do they get when things go wrong on the job (e.g., because there's been an accident or because someone has fallen ill)?
Have a Support system for employees to ensure Productivity
A resilient workplace has flexible policies in place to respond quickly to events like the pandemic. Support systems, procedures, and policies need to be in place to ensure that employees can work comfortably and productively from wherever they are.
Flexible Policies: Resilience is all about being able to adapt quickly when things don't go according to plan, so this means having flexible policies for those times when you need them most - whether that's an employee who needs more time off after a holiday or a colleague who wants more flexibility around their hours (or even just their location). It also means having clear communication channels between senior management and frontline staff on any changes that affect them directly; these conversations should happen regularly so everyone knows what each other's plans are going into each day/week/quarter/yearly cycle etc... And if there are any issues which arise out of these changes then someone should always be available during office hours either by phone or email if necessary!
Hybrid working challenges
The most important thing for a company to do is put people first. Once you've done that, technology and productivity can become secondary concerns. Resiliency is key here: If your infrastructure fails, or if there are hardware issues with your machines, then you must have a backup plan in place before anything else happens. This means having multiple locations available so employees can work from home if need be (or even just one). It also means being prepared for the unexpected—whether through natural disasters or other random occurrences outside your control—so that nothing slips through the cracks and slows down business operations significantly.
1 - People first
The first thing we need to do is understand that people are at the heart of any business, and that’s true for hybrid working too. You may have heard it said “people are the most important part of any business” “the heart of any company or organization” or even “the driving force behind any business” but what does this mean?
In terms of being able to deliver on your promises, if you fail at human capital management then all else fails with it. This means taking care in selecting people who will fit into your culture and values - because they're what's going to determine how successful you'll be over time (and whether or not someone will want to work there).
2 - Technology second
Another challenge is technology. Technology is not a solution to all problems, but rather a tool that can be used to enhance productivity and efficiency. Technology should not just be used for its own sake; it should also be used to improve the user experience. For example, when you're using your computer or phone, consider how much time you spend waiting for things to load or performing tasks like sending an email or updating social media feeds. This can add up quickly if you don't track how much time you spend doing these things each day!
3 - Productivity third
Productivity is not just about technology. It's also about how you use it, and what your organization needs from its technology.
- Technology must be fit for the purpose
- Technology should be easy to use
- Technology must be secure (both in terms of data privacy and access)
A hybrid working set to become an industry norm within the next couple of years.
This year marks the beginning of a new era for digital workplaces, with a hybrid working set to become an industry norm within the next couple of years. Hybrid working is about flexibility, and it’s also about being able to work from anywhere. It means being able to work with anyone—from remote employees who need time off or carrers who need flexible hours—and not having any restrictions on when you can access your desk or laptop machine. Hybrid workers tend not only to be more productive than those who are stuck in one place all day but also happier too.
Resiliency and hybrid working has been the buzzword for a while now. The idea is that we need to be able to work from home to be more productive and efficient, but it's not always as simple as just hopping onto your laptop or phone. There are some things you can do to make sure you're ready for hybrid working, whether you're at home or on the go. Here are a few tips:
- Create a routine for how you'll get your work done. This will help you stay focused and avoid distractions, which could cause you to forget what you were working on.
- Have a plan for when things go wrong (and don't panic). When things don't go according to plan, there's no reason why they should throw off your entire day. Instead of letting this situation ruin everything, think about how it could help save time in the long run by making things easier on yourself when it comes time for tasks later on down the line!
- Keep up with emailing contacts regularly—even if it's just once every other day or so! You never know who might need something from you right away, so staying connected is important no matter where life takes
Conclusion
Said differently, for creative professionals, the greatest challenge is not to work smarter but ultimately to work better given that we now have access to more tools and technologies. Hybrid working calls for a different perspective on how we approach our day-to-day design activities. As designers, we are accustomed to using tools and technologies to augment our existing means of production. We should take advantage of the hybrid working ethos if we want to maintain our relevancy in an increasingly complex and demanding environment.
Offering your workforce greater flexibility and devising policies that nurture talent in the workplace will also make them more inclined to stay loyal to you. In a competitive marketplace, recognizing the needs of an ever-evolving internet-driven world is paramount - and will ultimately ensure your business's long-term sustainability.
