Organisations in Asia Pacific (APAC) are embracing the new way of work, according to the Telstra Asia Pacific Transformation Vision: Optimising for Hybrid report.
Seven in 10 are now recruiting talent from all locations and allowing hybrid work arrangements. Organisations surveyed also expect virtual work to increase by 83% in the next six to 12 months, despite offices reopening.
This is in line with 74% of employees in APAC believing that flexible work arrangements will help improve productivity. However, they will need to be equipped with wireless networks and other related services, quality remote working services with high availability, and communication and collaboration tools.
Interestingly, 37% of employees in small organisations show more affinity towards immersive digital experiences, such as augmented reality and virtual meeting platforms, than those in larger organisations (29%).
The report also reveals that 70% of APAC organisations already have a strategy in place to identify and deploy the right technology and tools to facilitate hybrid work arrangements. More than half (60%) of APAC leaders and employees are also seeing progressive changes with a clear timeline to achieve full hybrid policies and guidelines.
Currently, organisations are measuring productivity by frequent goals communication, usage of tools for teamwork and collaboration, as well as output over the work completed. For future productivity strategies, organisations tend to look toward future-focused goals, consistent policy on performance rating and updated performance indicators.
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“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,” says Geraldine Kor, managing director for South Asia at Telstra.
She continues: “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. 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.”
