Hybrid working and you – the impact on your business

Hybrid working and you – the impact on your business

There’s no doubt about it – hybrid working is here to stay.  Two years on from the start of the pandemic, and with government advice indicating that staff are no longer required to work from home, the fact remains that more and more businesses are implementing a hybrid model permanently.

Xperthr reported that in November 2021, 29% of organisations are implementing the hybrid model for all of their employees, with only 4% not adopting the strategy for any of their workforce.

These statistics imply that a flexible future of working is already a reality for a huge proportion of the working population

Effect on staff

Research from Gallup and BCG shows that hybrid working is a key factor for staff making decisions about their employment with up to 92% of employees now expecting to be able to work from home at least once a week where their sector allows.  A survey by Owl Labs asked participants what impact being allowed to work remotely would have on them, with the following results

On top of this, 80% of workers also recorded less work-related stress.

These wellbeing factors cannot be ignored, especially in the midst of “The Great Resignation”, a post-pandemic trend seeing vast job change as workers seek to find roles at companies that offer a better work-life balance and more flexibility.

Effect on business

The key for employers is to ensure that the implementation of remote working maximises staff satisfaction whilst not causing reduced productivity or financial loss.

Despite initial objections to this model, the research does seem to support that hybrid working can be just as beneficial for organisations as individuals.

According to 2021 research, nearly two-thirds of European business leaders reported that hybrid working makes companies more profitable, with 25% lower employee turnover.  Managers saw their hybrid working teams as 65% more productive compared with previous office-based working.

Differences can also be seen in the financial arena, with 40% of managers observing cost savings and 25% of employees willing to take a pay cut to allow for flexible working in their roles.

It is understandable that changing the working model of your business can seem daunting, but with clear benefits to staff and management alike, the hybrid working model could provide a flexible and profitable future for all.

It’s never been easier to offer flexible working to your staff, with cloud-based communications systems, such as Xelion, more accessible than ever. Traditional office setups, with a stationed receptionist at a front desk, can be replaced with a remote working team using instant message functions and softphones on company laptops and mobiles.

Intelligent Door Entry systems like Paxton and camera technology can allow remote staff to grant access to visitors without being tied to an office.

If you are looking to access the benefits that hybrid working can bring to your workforce, Connaught can help.  We can keep you completely connected and properly protected, wherever you are.

Three ways to make business communications easier

Three ways to make business communications easier

Communication is undeniably one of the most important foundations of any business.

Get it wrong, you will lose customers, misplace data and be inefficient. Get it right and you will be lean, profitable and efficient in serving your marketplace.

Any investment into business communications, be that time or money, is an investment well spent and now more than ever there is a clear path you should be following to improve how you communicate at work.

That path is digitisation. In other words, switching manual means of communication for digital alternatives which are connected and convenient. You can find out more about digitisation here or read on to discover how digital communication could make your working day more efficient and your business leaner.

Here are three investments that could make business communication easier for your organisation:

Hosted Communications

When you connect your workers mobile devices to their desktop devices through one easy to use platform, you enable them to make cost-effective voice calls and communicate with colleagues and customers via conference call wherever they are. Platforms like this can be connected to other software packages too like Salesforce or ACT! Which means your team has access to all the data they need on the road, at home or in the office.

The best bit? With all of this hosted in the cloud there’s no need to purchase or maintain physical hardware, so you’ll have more space in the office and lower ongoing maintenance costs too.

VOIP

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is one of the main replacement services for traditional telephone lines, which are due to become obsolete in 2025. Using the internet to make calls is cheaper and delivers a better-quality connection every time.

Ideal for growing businesses, VOIP is highly scalable, meaning you can add and remove lines in a matter of seconds. Switching to VOIP is far easier than many people expect, it is most likely compatible with your existing phone system and will give you access to a range of features like answer machine messages which are automatically transcribed and sent to you as a text or email.

Business Broadband

Business grade broadband brings reliability and speed to any business working towards digitisation. Connecting your workforce, data storage and telephony improves team performance, and when your team is working efficiently, customer satisfaction will soar.

There are different options to choose from including fibre optic broadband, Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) and fibre optic ethernet, depending on your business requirements. Whichever one proves right for you, switching will allow you to move core business applications over to a fully hosted platform for the ultimate in lean communication and business efficiency.

You can discuss all of these options and more, with our dedicated team of specialists. You could even book a free of charge, no obligation audit which will give you a full and comprehensive list of recommendations for digitisation. Call 0800 652 7681 or email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk