One of the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was a shift towards flexible working structures, as businesses and workforces recognised the convenience, cost-efficiencies and accessibility of remote and hybrid working.
From an IT perspective, this movement towards more adaptable working conditions generates several challenges, where businesses need to consider how they control access to secure networks and databases, maintain cybersecurity controls and allow employees to work with shared files, systems and documents from their own devices.
With 78% of businesses found to offer formal or informal flexible working in a study conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), with 44% not requiring staff to spend any time in the office at all, Jera considers the advantages of cloud solutions to aid in productivity, oversight and cybersecurity.
The Importance of Digital Tools for Devolved Workforces
As a specialist IT support provider, we often consult with businesses that want to provide their workforces with flexible working environments and the freedom to structure their working hours to ensure staff feel valued, trusted and with autonomy over how they manage their time.
The growth in hybrid working is seen as a step-change for many demographics who have long encountered barriers to career progression due to childcare obligations, difficulty travelling to city centres or business districts, or disabilities or chronic illnesses that prevent them from working a standard 9-5 role.
For many business owners, the question is: how can we offer flexible, remote or hybrid working without damaging our outputs, restricting communications between teams or individuals or putting sensitive company data and networks at risk?
Cloud-based functionality offers a solution where staff can tap into resources, databases and systems on demand from any location and at any time. Implementing robust verification controls, creating strong security policies for all devices, and using real-time collaborative software are just some of the ways companies are embracing flexible working while augmenting productivity within their teams.
Links Between Remote Working and Staff Productivity
Although some sectors have been resistant to change, studies collated by Forbes show that:
- 43% of professionals improved productivity when able to work remotely.
- 30% of staff state that time saved by not commuting means they allocate more hours in the working day to their roles.
- Remote employees, on average, work an additional 1.4 days every month compared to on-premises staff.
- Workplaces with flexible working hours see a 41% decrease in absences and a 21% boost in profitability.
The key for employers is, therefore, all about finding the right digital infrastructure and cybersecurity approaches to facilitate remote or hybrid working in a way that supports the data security and efficiency of the organisation.
Choosing the Best Cloud-Based Solutions to Support Remote Working
Businesses introducing remote working may need to assess a broad range of areas within their companies, looking into:
- Remote IT support to ensure staff devices, internet connections, system access permissions, and connectivity are well managed, with assistance available on-demand to address any outages or glitches.
- The reliability of internet connections and digital networks, and how to ensure all staff can log in from their selected location.
- Facilitating remote meetings, brainstorming sessions and video conferencing, providing remote workers a way to contact supervisors or managers, collaborate with colleagues and share their work.
- Cybersecurity, implementing access controls and safeguards to prevent remote access points from presenting a vulnerability.
Cloud-based solutions are perfectly aligned with the needs of hybrid workforces since they provide staff with secure access to all business resources from any location, whether that includes databases, online systems and networks, or document storage facilities.
Cyberattacks are, unfortunately, a major concern for almost every business. Transitioning to a cloud-based setup with guidance from a professional IT support provider is a great option. We can configure your cloud systems and networks and provide ongoing security management and patches.
VPNs, multi-factor authentication, and file encryptions can further augment your cybersecurity, alongside training for remote staff to ensure policies around password selection and access permissions are well documented and communicated.
How Do Cloud Solutions Assist in Remote Working Productivity?
Despite some residual reluctance to switch from the conventional office-based workplace structure, many businesses have swiftly seen how offering more flexible working arrangements leads to better employee satisfaction and often immediate upticks in productivity.
Part of that is because staff who are trusted to choose their own working environment, or the times they work are naturally more efficient when they are relaxed, comfortable, and able to focus. Rather than commuting to a workplace, sitting under harsh lighting, or trying to concentrate in a busy workplace, staff can opt to work from home – or decide to work remotely when they have a particularly complex task that is easier to complete in a quiet, uninterrupted space.
The other factors that feed into better productivity are linked to the cloud-based software and systems businesses deploy:
- Collaborative tools improve workflow efficiency, where, for example, managers can delegate tasks, staff can submit reports or work online, and use checklists or integrated calendars to schedule to-dos, meetings and check-in calls.
- In many cases, in-house systems are outdated legacy solutions. Transitioning to remote working and cloud-based alternatives may provide rapid improvements as staff begin accessing applications, communications and data-sharing software that are well-suited to modern business needs.
- Staff working in their choice of environment are less subject to micromanagement. They can often utilise their skills and knowledge to add value, finding better ways to do things without pressure to 'look busy'.
Managers and supervisors remain able to track outputs, tasks completed, working hours and other variables. In doing so, there are excellent opportunities to identify teams, departments or individuals who operate with the greatest efficiency, enabling businesses to roll out those approaches or strategies in other areas.
For more information about selecting the most suitable cloud-based IT systems or digital infrastructure for your business or advice on how to handle issues that are preventing your business from offering flexible working, please get in touch with the Jera team.
We provide a comprehensive array of business-specific IT support services, from cloud solutions to IT strategy design, IT security and ongoing remote support.
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About Jera
Jera provides fully managed IT support, cybersecurity services, telecoms systems, and IT strategy consultancy to businesses based in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and the surrounding areas.
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Source Company: https://jerait.co.uk
Published by: Steve OBrien
Source: Woya - Digital PR
Release ID: 917531