# How to balance freedom and productivity while hybrid working Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-10-13 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: Hybrid Working Model: The Future of Work Post-Pandemic Meta Description: Discover how businesses can benefit from a hybrid work model, offering employees the freedom to work from home and the office while maintaining productivity URL: https://financedigest.com/how-to-balance-freedom-and-productivity-while-hybrid-workinghtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/storyblocks-latina-woman-working-from-home-on-her-computerh3rsm0oyw-1736837570236-compressed.jpg) _By_ **_Neal McMahon,_** _Regional Sales Leader UK&I_ Financial Services offices in the UK are opening up, meaning employees have the freedom to take advantage of different work environments that exist outside of their homes. In light of the learnings from remote working, many employers are now offering a hybrid working model, where employees choose where they work – from home, from the office, elsewhere, or even whilst on the go. Many [large corporations](https://www.reworked.co/digital-workplace/is-the-hybrid-workplace-the-future-of-work/) around the world have embraced this way of working, announcing that they will allow more workers to continue [working from home](https://www.hibob.com/hr-glossary/work-from-home/) post-pandemic, including [Ford](https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/ford-debuts-flexible-hybrid-work-4353257/), [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/creating-a-best-workplace-from-anywhere/), [Siemens](https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/siemens-establish-mobile-working-core-component-new-normal), and [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/careers/work-anywhere). Research from HiBob – a people management platform – found that 63% of full-time employees are currently [working from home at least part of the time](https://www.financedigest.com/time-management-strategies-that-work.html "Time management strategies that work"). Avaya surveyed 10,000 people from 11 countries to gauge public attitude to hybrid working in its [_Life and Work Beyond 2020_](https://news.avaya.com/cp-emea-work-soc-reg). More than 60% said they would like to carry on [working remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture"), responding that they would support government policies that encourage a hybrid work environment. Nearly half (46%) of respondents envision ‘work from anywhere’ being a viable [way of working well into the future](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-to-protect-your-wealth-for-future-generations.html "5 Ways to Protect Your Wealth for Future Generations"). [Businesses should certainly pay attention to the fact that another 46% of respondents](https://www.financedigest.com/pitiless-machines-will-kill-your-business-if-you-dont-respond-now-warns-servion.html "‘Pitiless machines’ will kill your business if you don’t respond now, warns Servion") reported an increase in productivity while working remotely according to the research. These factors combined suggest that businesses that have the ability will benefit from giving employees the freedom to [work both from home](https://www.financedigest.com/working-from-home-everyone-is-different.html "Working from home, everyone is different.") and the office. But there are important [steps businesses should take to help ensure their workforce is as productive](https://www.financedigest.com/talent-strategies-are-the-first-step-to-productivity-solution.html "Talent strategies are the first step to productivity solution") as possible, wherever they choose to work from. **The Experience Economy** In today’s experience economy, the employee experience (EX) is as important as the customer experience (CX) and employees provided with the right [technologies feel empowered](https://www.financedigest.com/cut-evidence-empower-how-technology-can-help-banks-deliver-on-cop27-commitments.html "Cut, evidence, empower: How technology can help banks deliver on COP27 commitments") and confident. A well-connected, digitally advanced mobile working infrastructure creates confident – and therefore productive – workers. To help maintain productivity, [organisations should ensure their employees are equipped and empowered to perform at their best irrespective of where they work](https://www.financedigest.com/how-collaboration-technologies-are-helping-organisations-to-embrace-a-hybrid-working-model.html "How collaboration technologies are helping organisations to embrace a hybrid working model") from. This means that they should [provide a communications capability that enables employees to work productively](https://www.financedigest.com/two-thirds-of-consumers-would-prefer-to-deal-with-a-single-provider-for-insurance-products.html "Two-thirds of consumers would prefer to deal with a single provider for insurance products") from anywhere. **Elevating CX** Employees have more than proven that they can keep up communications with colleagues, customers and partners while [working remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/shoring-up-cyber-defences-in-the-remote-working-era.html "Shoring up cyber defences in the remote working era") over the past 18 months, but productivity can be hindered by the use of too many different communications and collaborations apps. Many of us stay connected while working [remotely through an app for team](https://www.financedigest.com/build-a-strong-remote-team-with-these-5-steps.html "Build A Strong Remote Team With These 5 Steps") chat – however, some may have another for video conferencing, another for a company’s file-sharing platform and yet another, such as a task management tool. [Need to discuss customer](https://www.financedigest.com/why-empathy-needs-to-sit-at-the-heart-of-bbls-and-cbils-customer-service.html "Why empathy needs to sit at the heart of BBLS and CBILS customer service") information with colleagues? Some do this through the CRM. To add to this, customers today want the freedom to switch between their preferred touch point for receiving assistance. Research conducted [last year found that nearly 60% of working](https://www.financedigest.com/remote-working-tips-to-help-it-last-longer.html "Remote working tips to help IT last longer") UK respondents often use three or more tools, apps, and resources to complete a work project. Today’s [employees must have the capabilities to connect](https://www.financedigest.com/voice-quality-matters-quarter-of-employees-working-from-home-still-experiencing-regular-connectivity-issues.html "Voice Quality Matters: Quarter of Employees Working From Home Still Experiencing Regular Connectivity Issues") with colleagues and customers when they want, in the way they want, whether that’s via phone, chat, video meetings, collaboration, file sharing, task management and virtual rooms. Both customers and employees deserve an effortless experience, and this is possible through cloud-based [unified communications as a service](https://www.financedigest.com/home-start-lincolnshire-implements-flexible-unified-communications-service-to-reduce-costs.html "HOME-START LINCOLNSHIRE IMPLEMENTS FLEXIBLE UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE TO REDUCE COSTS") (UCaaS). The right UCaaS or single-app team collaboration solution elevates the [customer experience](https://www.financedigest.com/the-new-client-adviser-experience-in-the-age-of-the-customer.html "The New Client-Adviser Experience in the Age of the Customer") while offering employees a single number for calls, chat, video meetings, file sharing and continuous collaboration that reaches them wherever they are, on whatever device they’re using. It should also allow for their own preferences for call forwarding, availability, presence, messaging, and video meetings, to be easily managed, removing the burden from IT admin, staff, or a reception. **Composability** For a business to create experiences that matter for its hybrid workforce and customers, it needs more than monolithic glass-ceiling apps in a [cloud world](https://www.financedigest.com/how-hybrid-cloud-computing-offers-the-best-of-all-worlds.html "How hybrid cloud computing offers the best of all worlds"). That’s why it’s [important to choose a communications and collaboration](https://www.financedigest.com/the-importance-of-global-collaboration-in-the-edtech-sector.html "The importance of global collaboration in the EdTech sector") solution that is built on a composable platform. Composability using a communications platform (CPaaS) enables a [business to assemble and combine the specific business capabilities required to achieve the outcomes it needs](https://www.financedigest.com/what-is-premises-liability-coverage-and-why-does-your-business-need-it.html "What is Premises Liability Coverage … and Why Does Your Business Need It?") in the moment, making it agile and competitive under rapidly changing circumstances. This cloud-based flexibility allows the collaboration solution to grow and adapt as an organisation does, or its needs change, making it a solution for both the [present and the future](https://www.financedigest.com/young-leaders-forum-jamal-edwards-on-the-past-present-and-future.html "Young Leaders Forum: Jamal Edwards on the past, present and future"). **EX equals CX** An intentional and thought-out employee experience is the basis for a great customer experience – a priority in the customer-centric [world of financial](https://www.financedigest.com/shakedown-on-horizon-for-financial-technology-world.html "Shakedown on horizon for financial technology world") services. The right tools will empower employees to solve problems quickly and easily by [improving collaboration with different team](https://www.financedigest.com/improving-your-it-team-in-four-simple-steps.html "Improving your IT team in four simple steps") members in different departments, with different disciplines. As we enter a new world of work, we should reimagine how we collaborate and what makes us productive. Composable [collaboration tools are the key to elevated customer and employee experiences](https://www.financedigest.com/video-collaboration-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-the-customer-experience-in-financial-services.html "Video Collaboration is pushing the boundaries of the customer experience in Financial Services"). --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---