Looking back on the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the corporate world was in a state of shock and disarray. Employers are shifting to new business models, while workers are demanding greater support. Since companies cannot operate within office environments, employees have to work in the comfort of their homes to earn a living while helping their employers stay afloat.
Workplace technology plays an important role in bridging employees and their organizations amid geographical locations. Years ago, many thought that shifting to remote work would be an impossible feat for corporate environments. Today, it only took a small amount of time for IT teams to redesign workplace technology to accommodate the current demands of remote work. In turn, employers turn to 5G RF filter companies to tackle the challenges and opportunities of Internet connectivity.
As more people get vaccinated, most employers are preparing for a new work model called hybrid working. Hybrid working is a type of flexible work arrangement where employees split their time between working at home and in the workplace. To ensure a successful hybrid transition, IT teams should consider accommodating its different needs and establish a robust IT infrastructure for hybrid workers.
This article will discuss the implications of the hybrid workplace for IT professionals and what they can do to support this new work arrangement.
Workplace challenges for IT teams
Although experts have predicted workforces will become geographically disperse because of cloud and software-powered digital platforms, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the digital shift to happen within a very short period. As enterprises extend their operations online, this puts pressure on IT teams by creating a robust management program for remote workers.
Here are the current challenges faced by IT teams in the remote and hybrid workplace:
- Extended support hours
- User training
- Remote support
- Cloud enablement
- Cybersecurity protocols
- Collaboration enablement
- Provision of remote work devices
- Modernization of building technologies for sanitation
- Partnership with HR teams for appropriate monitoring and policy enforcement
In a hybrid workplace, work operations must be digitally available through the Internet since employees’ locations will remain scattered. This means employees need continuous access to virtual work environments and network bandwidth. For these reasons, employees need to partner with IT teams not just for IT-provided tools but for the overall business operations.
The idea that hybrid work will disperse employees between their homes and work facilities leads to more challenges for IT in terms of providing technology tools and infrastructure in dedicated spaces.
Flexible schedules and changing work times will also affect the performance of IT teams. Traditional work hours are no longer the norm, as employees have full control over when, where, and how they want to work. This will require significant changes in terms of IT management as they have to set definite hours when everyone is online.
IT teams will also play a huge role in transforming corporate facilities to reduce the risks of virus transmission. They need to design or update tools that enable physical controls to protect employees’ health from coronavirus threats. From computer accessories, elevator buttons, light switches, and door handles, these items require the intervention of IT teams to lessen possible virus transmitters.
The role of IT in the hybrid workplace
The success of the hybrid workplace lies in the partnership between IT teams and corporate users in the selection, deployment, assessment, and improvement of technology tools. At the same time, they also need to ensure the best user experience for those who work at home and in the office.
High-quality user experience has positive impacts on work productivity, effectiveness, retention, and voluntary effort. This means if employees can carry out their jobs with great ease and flexibility, they can provide quality support and service to customers, leading to more revenue.
IT teams should also make better decisions in terms of providing support to workers. In the event of a tech-related issue, employees can’t easily reach out to support technicians since they’re working from home. Without an available IT staff, IT teams need tools to closely monitor device activities, both for remote workers and the on-site staff.
The bottom line
Whatever hybrid work approach companies choose, there are plenty of workplace technologies to support the changing needs of the digital workplace. But to ensure a successful hybrid workplace, IT teams will play a critical role in addressing the tech needs of the new work arrangement. While the future is still uncertain, knowing the best technology tools can help address workplace challenges that will come our way.
