How hybrid working can benefit your business

Help your business make the most of remote working.

2020: the year that changed everything. Overnight, remote working became vital to save businesses, future-proof jobs and protect people – and, for many, it’s here to stay.

In fact, 73% of employees want to make remote working permanent, and 39% even go as far as saying they would resign if remote working wasn’t an option – and we expect employee demands to continue rising.

While hybrid working isn’t an option for every business, it reaches much further than you might realise. From doctors performing remote screening appointments to farmers managing supplier meetings virtually, there are opportunities for all businesses to benefit.

So, how can you make the most of this opportunity? We know not all businesses are prepared to instantly adapt to changing ways of working, but you can take small steps to evolve.

Here are a few helpful tips to get you on the right path, all of which will help you become ‘fit for the future’.

Take advantage of every opportunity

The business landscape is constantly evolving, so adopting new technology to meet your business challenges must continue too.

Start by thinking about what you want to achieve in six months, one year and five years. Then, consider how technology could help you reach those goals. Maybe marketing on social media could boost sales. Or perhaps building a new website could make all the difference. Help your business now and in the future by identifying which digital opportunities could benefit you most.

Technology has also brought about more opportunities for flexible working. After all, thanks to these new ways of working, employers no longer have to hire within the constraints of a single location – providing greater access to more diverse and high-quality talent. Not forgetting that employees are also able to work wherever they choose, which has improved job satisfaction and employee engagement.

Flexibility = focus

Giving people more control over their work environment has seen spikes in productivity too, with almost six out of ten workers saying their more productive when working from home than they expected to be.

And some companies have taken this opportunity to downsize their offices, reducing costs in the process. Not to mention that many employees have happily waved goodbye to their daily commute – saving both time and money.

Start by thinking small

In the long run, every step you take will add up to make a huge difference to business success. However, to realise the full benefits of offering a work-from-anywhere approach, you need to optimise processes across the business and look carefully at possible complications.

What do we mean? Well, remote working can prove difficult for things as simple as managing document versions or choosing how you speak or collaborate with your team, which can result in reduced productivity. An easy fix is to adopt tools and practices that enable your team to work simultaneously on documents, emails, presentations and spreadsheets, from absolutely any device.

Plus, since non-verbal communications, like body language and facial expressions, are equally important as words, you need to create opportunities for your team to speak face-to-face – even when they aren’t in the office. By implementing video conferencing and other tools that allow your team to communicate in the way they need to, you’ll help them stay connected.

Protect your data, employees and business

Then there’s security to consider. Did you know cyberattacks increased by 400% in 2020?

If you want to give your team total freedom to work where they want and from any device, while knowing all data is secure, then make sure you arm your business with the right security to avoid threats and costly mistakes. In our digital world, security can’t be an afterthought – make sure you’re set up to protect your business from day one.

Start your ‘fit for the future’ journey

As our digital world continues to develop, your business will need to be agile and forward-thinking to keep up with – and ahead of – your competition.

After all, a key factor in increasing your ‘fit for the future’ score is around investing in technology, and the London School of Economics found that a 10-point increase in a business’ ‘fit for the future’ score increases the likelihood of outperforming competitors financially by 36%.

So, start making the most of this opportunity by adopting technologies that allow you to work wherever, whenever – and see your ‘fit for the future’ score rise too.

Could you use a helping hand? The V-Hub Digital Advisers can help you set your next steps, all while helping you plan and implement a digital strategy with their continued, free support.