The Future of Work and What It Means to Your Organization
Our idea of what the future looks like has twisted, turned and backflipped in ways we could have never imagined in the past year. At times, we have all been left thinking, "When will life be normal?" "Will there be a new normal?" and "What even is normal?"
The truth is that nobody knows. But one thing is for sure — our new normal is exciting and brings changes to the future of work, for the better. With little preparation or notice, we have been catapulted into becoming a working society that must thrive against unusual odds. And despite it being a tough year, it's astonishing to see how well we can adapt to crazy workplace changes. We have become true leaders of the remote workforce.
With the future still looking unpredictable, we must keep adapting our organizations and the places that we call 'work.' We must accommodate the future of work.
What Has Changed and What Will the Future of Work Be?
Let's look at the facts.
Among the confusion that we face, one thing has become clear: the way we work has changed forever. We asked customers and businesses about their idea of the future of work and how they think they will operate long term. We found that a considerable 66% of organizations intend to continue a hybrid workplace model of remote and in-person work after the pandemic ends. It's a drastic change considering that only 5% of the workforce worked mainly from home before the pandemic.
Not only have organizational opinions changed, but the views of employees and their expectations of the future of work have changed too. Citrix discovered that three-quarters of UK office workers would now give up part of their salary to keep working remotely. Since so many employees have had a taste of enhanced work-life balance and workforce expectations have shifted, many organizations will now look to increase their flexibility towards such arrangements.
Because of this shift in preferences, organizations now require security solutions that support their new flexible work styles, continue to provide the utmost security and protection in these circumstances, and allow for no downtime and productivity loss. These three concepts are the foundation for HID's vision of the future of work. Let's take a closer look:
- Flexibility
While we live our lives from lockdown to lockdown, our work setups must be agile to adapt to unpredictability. Workforces now must have the flexibility to access their networks, workstations, applications, and physical areas on a whole new level. In a new world where working norms have been recreated, and where for some of us, it simply feels like we work alone with our computers, the idea that identity should be our only perimeter is more relevant than ever. - Security
As we face a time of disparate workplaces and changing processes, we also face security vulnerabilities. With workforces accessing networks, tools and systems from outside of the traditional office, there are many more complex issues to think about, and we require specialized hybrid workplace security solutions. It is so important not to jeopardize our businesses' security, but rather ensure that access is being granted to the right people, at the right time, the right place, and in the right ways. - Friction (Or Lack Thereof)
To get the very best out of our workforces, the access we provide must be frictionless and not hinder productivity. Changes in the workplace bring new hurdles and opportunities for delays and disruptions due to a lack of access. In turn, cumbersome reporting and auditing requirements bring struggles. Work experiences must be seamless — where authentication tools, credentials and systems are fine-tuned in a way that allows employees to thrive.
What's Next for the Future of Work?
Our vision for the future of work is exciting, which is why we want to share it with you. Over the coming months, we'll continue to blog on this topic and discuss tips and strategies to help you maintain a seamless, flexible and secure workplace. Stay tuned.
Want to dive deeper into how the pandemic changed the world's approach to work? Download our eBook, The Future of Work.
Maria MacRitchie leads the product marketing efforts for the IAM Workforce Authentication solution globally. She has over 15 years of experience with B2B and B2C product, services and marketing communications within the IT and telecom industries. Maria has been with HID for 7 years, holding various communication roles within the Professional Services, PACS Cloud Services and Product Marketing teams.