It seems like ages ago. But, do you remember the optimism that we were all basking in back in the spring? Maybe, just maybe, things were returning to a pre-pandemic life.
Case in point, a Deloitte survey was conducted in April 2021. At the time, over two-thirds of the respondents (67%) were still fully remote. However, 64 percent of respondents expected their organization to return to the office by 2021, with 25 percent reporting they had already reopened.
Of course, things haven’t gone as expected. Thanks to the Delta variant that has swept through the world. While this hasn’t changed many return-to-office plans, some may be exploring options like mandatory vaccines for employees or embracing hybrid work.
- Occasionally, employees work on-site, while other times, they work remotely or at home. As far as the balance is concerned, that varies from organization to organization.
- There are teams or individuals who work entirely or mostly on-site, and others who work remotely only. So, there’s no one-size-fits approach here. But, it’s recommended that a substantial percentage of a company’s employees work remotely. So, as a starting point, you may want to experiment with an 80-20 split.
What’s more, hybrid work takes the best of both worlds and combines them. For example, it combats the loneliness that many experienced working remotely while granting flexibility. And, it reduces daily commuting—which saves time and money.
Hybrid Work is All About Customization
“If the pandemic teaches us anything, it’s that no two people are experiencing it the same way,” wrote Andrea Hsu and Janet W. Lee for NPR. “That is especially true of people who work from home.”It has been lonely and isolating for some who live alone, while others relish their solitude. With schools becoming virtual, parents with children no longer had to commute to schools, but some found this to be a distraction when working at home. Office life can bring energy for some, while others may never want to set foot in their cubicle again.
All of that is good, says Lorrissa Horton, vice president, and general manager of Cisco Webex Calling and Strategy, who managed 2,000 remote employees in the pandemic.
“I think we’ve been focusing on what do you need as an environment that works best?” Horton says. “Everyone … has been much more open with their personal requests or desires for what makes their life work the best.”
Prioritize Well-Being
Despite its advantages, hybrid work can take a toll on one’s mental health—specifically in terms of burnout. More than half of young managers (54 percent) reported burnout in one study, and 3 in 10 workers reported their mental and physical health had declined.“When in the office, prioritize relationships and collaborative work like brainstorming around a whiteboard,” Teevan advises. But, what when working from home? Focus on “other priorities such as family, fitness, or hobbies.” And, make sure that you eat healthy, exercise, and take frequent breaks throughout the day to recharge.
Personally, when I feel overwhelmed, I go for a long walk—without my phone. It’s simple. But, it’s an effective way to clear my head. Besides, getting outside raises your energy and keeps your mood calm, positive, and focused.
On the days that you must commute, make it easier on yourself by asking for a staggered schedule. For example, if you’re an early bird, get to the office around 8 a.m. to avoid rush hour traffic. But, of course, that also means you can dip out at 4 p.m. before everyone is on the road.
Virtual Meetings Require Structure
“Virtual meetings across your organization should have a consistent format,” writes Lorraine Lee, the Editorial Director at Prezi, in a previous Calendar piece. “For example, include an agenda, assign a notetaker, and make sure there are clear action items by the end that get sent out in a summary email.”- Whenever the number of participants reaches a certain point (usually at least 4 or more), the “hand raise” feature should be automatically activated. This way, no one gets stuck with an awkward mix of people speaking out while others wait their turn.
- Moderators or facilitators should politely ask attendees to set up a separate time to discuss topics that aren’t on the agenda. It’s essential to keep meetings focused and to value the time of participants.
- There is a function in both Google Calendar and Samsung Calendar that will shave minutes off a meeting before it starts. Decide whether meetings should always conclude five minutes before the hour or the half-hour. Regardless of which route you choose, make sure you follow through on it.
Implement a Consistent and Flexible Hybrid Work Policy
Dwyane, The Rock, Johnson, once twitted, “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”Obviously, he didn’t have hybrid work on his mind. But this quote definitely fits. Apple, for example, decided Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays would be the days when employees need to work from the office as part of its hybrid policy. When employees are on-site, this facilitates effective collaboration and culture-building.
Also, this makes planning your week much easier. For instance, parents can secure childcare for those days, and you can map out your commute accordingly. And, it also establishes a routine.
At the same time, you also need to balance this with being flexible.
“The joy of hybrid work is the extra time you get to spend at home, writes Howie Jones in another Calendar article. “You should take advantage of this time that’s given to you. After all, who knows how long you can afford the luxury of hybrid work at your workplace.”
Rethink Security
Arguably one of the biggest drawbacks regarding hybrid work is the possible security threats it presents. In fact, Statista reports that 68.5% of businesses have been victimized by ransomware in 2021. This rate is the highest yet, marking a 24% increase over just three years ago.To Err is Human, But the Software isn’t Blameless
“Even if employees were to stay unfailingly vigilant and adhere to the most exacting security practices every second of the day, the fact remains that most virtual desktop products, including desktop-as-a-service (DaaS), don’t provide adequate protection against ransomware and other remote access security threats,” writes Robb Henshaw is Co-Founder & CMO of Cameyo in eWeek.For example, you need to open server ports to the Internet for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to work. In the remote and hybrid work era, hackers and malicious actors are aware of this fact. As such, attacks like BlueKeep that target RDP are on the rise. According to cybersecurity company ESET, the number of attempted RDP attacks increased by 768% in 2020, translating to 29 billion attacks. The majority of them were brute force attacks.
- Using VPNs
- Creating strong passwords
- Implementing two-factor authentication
- Performing regular software updates
- Using a remote desktop gateway
- Installing the latest OS patches
- Implementing a centralized audit trail.
Rethinking Security to Support the Hybrid Workplace
“It’s clear that hybrid work requires a complete revamp of how we think about and approach security,” says Henshaw.” With the shortcomings of past and current solutions in mind, here are some things to consider going forward:”- Limit your attack surface. Rogue actors may exploit solutions with more moving parts if they have more points of exploitation. No matter how large or sophisticated the organization is, it needs solutions that eliminate unnecessary gateways and appliances that can become potentially unreliable.
- Control your ports. RDP ports are left open by default in many remote technologies, leaving your network open for brute force attacks. Locking down your ports by design should be part of your remote and hybrid work solutions, not left open haphazardly.
- Eliminate VPNs. Using a VPN, you can set up a secure tunnel between your device and the corporate network. The model relies on implicit trust from the user. However, VPNs can become a liability if your users are accessing your networks and data from a personal device comprised of malware.
- Keep it clean. Whenever logging out, always clear your user data. If the secure browser is compromised, the hacker would only have a limited view of a user’s session.