The transition by businesses to a hybrid work environment model requires investment and, crucially, connectivity and communication platforms that complement digital and remote working, says digital infrastructure company Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security chief business development officer Winston Ritson.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to many businesses having to be staffed remotely, as well as needing to provide employees with the technological and human support they need to perform their work well.

Processes, technology and business solutions need to be put in place to ensure productivity in an agile, digital environment, Ritson says.

Technology market research and consulting company Gartner has found that 71% of human resources personnel were increasingly focused on employee collaboration in 2021, and this is likely to continue to be a major initiative this year.

A hybrid work environment is a combination of remote and office working that allows most employees the ability to collaborate better with management in whichever environment complements their workstyles and assists them to best deliver on key performance indicators, he says.

“Employees seek more support from employers with regard to tools and technology to make their working experience as collaborative with management as possible,” he highlights.

In many instances, it can be beneficial to adopt a hybrid work environment model. Companies can save on costs of office space or rent out the space they own.

The workforce is more nimble and easier to be deployed as and where it is needed, and the hybrid work environment complements employee personality types on a wider scale, allowing them to thrive in less constrictive environments.

“According to research by [information technology multinational] Microsoft, almost nine out of ten leaders, or 88%, at large enterprises in South Africa expect to adopt a more hybrid way of working permanently,” Ritson says.

Additionally, cloud-based unified communications platforms offer companies significant cost benefit, particularly in Africa, he adds.

“As businesses move forward in 2022, the hybrid work environment has already replaced many traditional working practices. For example, unified communications as a service platforms have already removed the hardware and expensive long-term contracts and could very well spell the end of in-house service provisions.

“Significantly, the hybrid work environment model has placed a premium on employee needs, and a nimble, remote environment in which management caters for the needs of its workforce in terms of hardware, skills, productivity and satisfaction,” says Ritson.