A hybrid work environment combines the traditional office and remote workers connected by technologies that help them communicate and share information. As the number of employees working remotely from home offices or co-working spaces continues to rise, companies are looking for ways to connect their virtual workers better.

In a hybrid work environment, employees connect through different channels, and their functional roles and responsibilities span both digital and physical boundaries. The interplay between these two worlds is creating new challenges for many workers and companies. For example, today's employees need a way to access a holistic view of data relevant and contextualized to them and get the answers they need to do their job efficiently while still allowing them to maintain control of data security.

From helping employees stay in the loop to keeping them happy, building a company culture that gives your employees what they need can be critical for creating an efficient workplace.

Employees Need Access to Holistic Views of Data

Businesses that provide their employees a 360-degree view of data have a higher chance of succeeding in today's competitive, technology-driven working environment. But with employees spread across multiple devices, locations, departments, and time zones, getting an accurate view of what's happening in the workplace is a tall order.

In today's business environment, companies face multiple challenges in providing employees with the tools they need to get their jobs done. We live in a world where information is widely available, and workers are accustomed to having access to their data, regardless of location or time of day.

Maintaining Control of Data Security in Hybrid Environments

Hybrid, cloud-first, and mobile-first strategies are becoming more common, but they present different security challenges for enterprises. If your organization is adopting or has already adopted a hybrid or mobile-first approach, you're probably aware of the challenges it presents to IT security.

However, to enable employees to work with greater productivity and efficiency while reducing the risk of data loss, you'll have to rethink your approach to security. For example, when working on a project with a colleague in or out of the office, you both need access to the same historical context and relevant information to ensure smooth collaboration across the divided work environment.
Yet, from a security standpoint, it's, of course, common that employees within the same department can have different levels of access to information. Today, some products take care of multi-factor authentication and authorization seamlessly without difficulty. A hybrid mobile strategy is one of the most flexible and efficient ways to accomplish this. Employees can do their work anywhere, any time, on any device — without your IT department having to be involved in every action. 

Simplify Connecting Information in a Hybrid Workplace

If you're already managing a hybrid workforce, you know just how difficult it can be to keep everyone on the same page. Hence a more accessible approach to data is extensively important.

Most companies are not looking at the whole business from a strategic point of view, so they struggle to get information to the right people at the right time. But there are so many reasons why companies should leverage holistic views and 360-degree views of their data. From better decision-making to personalized customer service – connecting the dots in a hybrid workplace makes the difference in today's competitive environment. Implementing intelligent knowledge management is one example of running a business in that regard.

Some companies already utilize a combination of knowledge management, artificial intelligence, and data-driven insights to make their hybrid work environments easier. These solutions are being used to analyze information and find the correct answer to questions as employees need it to aid in better customer service and decision-making. 

While it is a good idea to take advantage of the advances in technology to make your workplace more efficient, it is also vital to stay aware of the changes that these technologies will bring in the future and how they could impact your industry. With the push for remote work and continuously increasing data, having a hybrid work environment has never been more critical.

After you've considered the details, it's easier to make a mixed workforce part of your overall culture and better enable your employees to reach top performance levels. By pinpointing what is genuinely successful via a holistic perspective of data and information, existing strategies and efforts will better enhance relationships and meet critical needs.