Only 1 in 5 believe their companies are ‘very prepared’ for a hybrid work future

Employees cite cybersecurity and networking infrastructure as hindrances to transition.

Whilst hybrid working has proven to be beneficial to workers, it seems like companies are not ready to fully transition to the setup, at least from the point of view of their employees.

Based on the latest Cisco study, one in five (19%) Singapore employees believe that their company is “very prepared” for a hybrid work future, lower than the global average of 23%. 

Employees cited two hindrances to their companies’ transition to a hybrid setup, the first one being cybersecurity, which 73% of employees believe is critical to making hybrid working safe.

Of those surveyed, only 66% said their organisation has the right capabilities and protocols in place to make hybrid working safe. 

Meanwhile, 64% think that all employees across their company understand the cyber risks involved with hybrid work, and 65% think business leaders are familiar with the risks.

The second hindrance was networking infrastructure which 84% said is essential for a seamless working from home experience.

Despite being viewed as essential, around 30% believe their company still needs the right networking infrastructure.

“Technology is a key enabler of growth in the hybrid workplace, and it needs to be underpinned by end-to-end integrated security. Organizations should prioritize a robust security posture that underpins every digitalization effort and ensure that cybersecurity is at the core of their technology architecture,” said Juan Huat Koo, Director, Cybersecurity, Cisco ASEAN.

Apart from technology, employees are also worried about how different work styles might impact inclusion and engagement in a permanent hybrid setup since half of them already saw an increase in micromanaging behaviours during their temporary hybrid and remote working setups. 

“Trust has become a core tenet in our hybrid work normal, alongside flexibility, and empathetic leadership. Our latest research indicates that more needs to be done to fully integrate hybrid work arrangements for employees, especially when it comes to building an inclusive culture powered by efficient technology infrastructure in this new world of hybrid working that employees prefer,” said Anupam Trehan, Senior Director, People & Communities, Cisco, APJC.

“Leaders and companies need to commit to actions that go a long way in retaining their people – listening, building trust, and leading with empathy, flexibility, and fairness,” Trehan added.