The pandemic has been a reality that companies around the world have shared. It required major changes in how they operate. The status quo of having everyone work in the office no longer made sense for everyone. As a result, many organizations had to quickly evolve to work through remote means. During the pandemic, an estimated 70% of full-time workers worked from home. Even now that the pandemic has hit a new waning phase, remote work is still very much a reality. For example, 92% of surveyed employees expect to still work from home at least one or more days per week.
This transformation has forced companies to rethink the tools and policies they use. Many have also needed to revamp how they work completely. However, they’ve had to switch to a cloud-based digital workspace to enable a hybrid team.
This transition has brought newfound benefits, such as:
- Lower costs for employees and employers
- Better employee work/life balance
- Higher morale
- The same or improved productivity
- More flexibility in serving clients
But, the transition to a digital workplace has also brought challenges and risks.
These include:
- Vulnerable networks and endpoints
- Employees feeling disconnected
- Communication problems
- Difficulty tracking productivity and accountability
- Increased risk of data breaches
20% of organizations experienced a breach during the pandemic due to a remote worker.
Overcoming the challenges and reaping the benefits takes time and effort. It also often takes a trained IT professional, like Wahaya IT, to help you avoid costly mistakes. Below are some of the biggest company mistakes when building a digital workplace. We referenced IGLOO’s State of the Digital Workplace report for the statistics.
1.Poor Cloud File Organization
When companies go virtual for their workflows, files live in a cloud-accessible environment. If those cloud storage environments aren’t well organized, it’s a problem. It can be difficult for employees to find the files they need. About 51% of employees have avoided sharing a document with a colleague. They either couldn’t find it or thought it would be too hard to find. Notably, this is the highest percentage recorded for this stat in the IGLOO report. Meaning that this problem is getting worse.
Some tips for making shared cloud storage files easier to locate are:
- Keep file structure flat (2-3 folders deep)
- Create a consistent hierarchy and naming structure
- Don’t create a file for fewer than ten documents
- Archive and delete older files monthly to reduce clutter
2. Leaving Remote Workers Out of the Conversation
No one likes to hear people start talking about something at a meeting and realize they’re lost. They missed an important piece of an earlier conversation. Many companies haven’t yet overcome in-person vs. remote communication challenges. Nearly 60% of remote workers say they miss out on important information. This is because colleagues first communicated it in person. Therefore, efficiency suffers when in-office workers make decisions without regard for remote colleagues. Managers and bosses must lead the way in changing this culture. While old habits take a while to change, the mindset can transition to be more inclusive of the hybrid world.
3. Not Addressing Unauthorized Cloud App Use
Before the pandemic, unauthorized cloud app use (also known as Shadow IT) was already a problem. That problem escalated once people began working from home and using their devices. Over half (57%) of employees use at least one unauthorized app in their workflow. When this happens, organizations can suffer in many ways.
Some of the risks of Shadow IT include:
- Data leakage from non-secured apps
- Date privacy compliance violations
- Redundancies in-app use that increases costs
- Unprotected company data due to a lack of visibility
- The employee leaves, and no one can access the data in the unauthorized app
4. Not Realizing Remote Doesn’t Always Mean From Home
Remote employees aren’t always working from home, connected to their home Wi-Fi. They may also work from airports, hotels, a family member’s house, or local coffee shops. Companies that don’t properly protect company data used by remote employees can be at risk of a breach. Public networks are notorious for enabling “man-in-the-middle” attacks. This is where a hacker connects to the same shared network. Then, the software can access data transmissions from others on that network. It’s advisable to use a business VPN for all remote work situations. VPNs are fairly inexpensive and easy to use. The employee enables the app on their device. The app then reroutes their data through secure, encrypted servers
5. Using Communication Tools That Frustrate Everyone
Are virtual meetings giving your team problems? As many as 85% of remote workers say that they’ve had 1-2 discussions interrupted by technology. Therefore, it’s getting so you can hardly have a virtual meeting without someone having a technical issue. Communication is the oil that makes the engine of a digital workplace run. Effective cloud-based video calls, audio calls, and chats depend on the right technology. This facilitates a smooth experience. Don’t rush to use just any communication tools. It would help if you took your time to test them out. Get help optimizing settings to improve your virtual meetings. Additionally, ensure your remote team has tools to foster smooth communications. This includes headsets, VoIP desk sets, webcams, etc.
Boost the Productivity of Your Hybrid Office
Reach out today to schedule a technology consultation. Wahaya IT can help you improve the efficiency and productivity of your digital workplace.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.
