How to properly ready your business for hybrid working

The shift to hybrid work has become an important part of business strategy, appealing to a wider range of employees who want better work-life balance and flexibility. However, this fundamentally changes how your business operates, particularly around IT infrastructure and security. You'll need to completely rethink your method of connectivity and data access. Going through this transformation alone can feel overwhelming. Using a managed service provider gives you access to the expertise needed to deploy and manage these solutions, whilst freeing you up to focus on developing the policies and cultures that will make your hybrid model successful.

1. Rethink your infrastructure

Hybrid models stretch your existing IT infrastructure well beyond its traditional office-based perimeter. You'll want to move away from on-premise servers and embrace cloud-based platforms for key applications and data storage. Your employees need the same seamless access whether they're at home, in the office, or working from a coffee shop. Slow internet connections and overloaded VPNs quickly become productivity killers, and solutions like SD-WAN can intelligently route traffic to optimise performance for cloud applications. Don't forget the basics either: all employees should receive proper equipment, including laptops, monitors, and any other tools they need to work effectively from anywhere.

2. Strengthen your security

When your workforce isn't confined to one secure location, you create a much larger surface area for potential cyberattacks. Recent UK government data shows that 43% of businesses experienced some form of cybersecurity breach in the past year, making solid security measures essential. Start with multi-factor authentication across all applications for that vital additional layer of protection. Adopt a Zero Trust approach so every user must be authenticated before accessing your network, regardless of their location. Regular cybersecurity training becomes necessary when employees are working from various locations with different security setups.

3. Encourage inclusivity

There's a real risk of creating a divide between office-based and home-based employees, and promoting genuine inclusivity and communication becomes vital not just for work purposes but for maintaining team spirit too. Provide collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams to create a central hub for all work-related discussions so no one gets left out of important conversations. Always respect flexible working arrangements and time zone differences. Remember that good communication in hybrid environments needs more intentional effort than traditional office settings.

4. Establish clear policies

You need to clearly outline what's expected from employees in a comprehensive hybrid work policy. This should cover everything from how many days they're expected in the office to communication response times and availability expectations. Clear guidelines eliminate ambiguity and guarantee fairness across your team. Managers should measure performance based on output and results instead of physical presence or hours clocked. This shift in mindset is absolutely essential for building the trust that makes hybrid working successful. With 28% of UK workers now following a hybrid pattern, having well-defined policies helps make sure that your business can attract and retain top talent.

Successfully preparing for hybrid working needs careful planning across technology, security, culture, and policy. The businesses that get this right will benefit from increased employee satisfaction, access to a wider talent pool, and improved operational flexibility in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

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