How APAC Decision Makers Are Optimizing for Hybrid Work
The workplace has changed. The traditional 9-to-5 office job is no longer the only way to work, and for many people, it’s not even the most desirable way either. With the rise of remote work and the gig economy, more people are looking for companies that offer flexibility in how and where they work.
Telstra, a telecommunications and technology company, recently published research that highlighted how Asian Pacific (APAC) business decision makers were rethinking their operations and work arrangements to benefit both employers and employees in the hybrid work era.
The report, Telstra Asia Pacific Transformation Vision: Optimising for Hybrid, gathered insights from over 450 business decision makers and 560 employees from across the Asia region including Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Although 21% of organizations have put expansion plans on hold due to uncertainty around the pandemic, global and APAC expansions remained high on companies’ operations growth agendas. 38% were looking at expanding globally while 28% planned to enter new markets in Asia, the report showed.
It also highlighted how businesses have changed in response to the pandemic's disruption of work orders. 85% of organizations were adopting hybrid work arrangements, while seven in 10 organizations have recruited talent from all locations, allowing employees to flexibly balance home and office-based responsibilities.
Despite the reopening of offices, organizations surveyed expected a rise in virtual work by 83% in the next six to 12 months. Additionally, 74% of employees in APAC felt that flexible work arrangements contributed to their and their teams’ productivity. 70% of organizations already have strategies in place to identify and deploy the right technology tools — including office-based and remote.
According to employee surveys, three out of four people said that technology made it easier for them to stay engaged with and drive cultural exchange with their co-workers.
A majority of APAC leaders and employees (70%) saw a progressive change with clear guidelines to achieve full hybrid policies. Currently, organizations were measuring productivity by setting goals for communication frequently (57%), using tools for teamwork and collaboration (56%) and the output based on the work completed (50%). For future productivity strategies, organizations indicated that they would look toward future-focused goals (66%), consistent policy on performance rating (58%) and updated performance indicators (53%).
“The changes from the past two years have triggered leaders to respond to new expectations from their employees and prompted businesses to accelerate their digital ambitions to stay relevant and continue to be available for customers. As we learn to navigate further uncertainties in the current economy, leaders must continue to be compassionate, and lean on digital tools to facilitate open communications with their teams,” said Geraldine Kor, managing director for South Asia at Telstra.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to building the work environment, but the right use of technology has the potential to facilitate employee engagement and foster corporate culture despite a decentralised workforce,” she added.
Image credit: iStockphoto/celiaosk
