The hybrid working model has become a business norm. Cloud-based technology creates a seamless bridge between HR and a remote working environment.

With technology increasingly touching every part of our lives, a hybrid working model was always destined to become the norm. However, when the pandemic intervened over the last two years, it was fast-tracked to an urgent necessity. Human Resources (HR) teams worldwide were forced to adapt at a rapid pace, with companies discovering both the drawbacks and the benefits. Forward-thinking HR professionals immediately grasped the need to implement cloud-based technology to create an agile, cost-effective and more intuitive approach to connecting the business with its people, whether they were in the office or at home.

BCX has seen accelerated growth in the HR solutions space over the last few years, with its fully cloud-based technology embraced as a seamless bridge between traditional HR systems and a remote workforce. Whether staff are working from an open plan office or an open plan kitchen, HR is now able to establish new rules, standards and ways of working, with robust technology addressing concerns including security, compliance and accessibility. In addition, BCX facilitates end-to-end seamless migration of established systems and data to a cloud-based platform.

The hybrid working model enables and empowers. On the other hand, it introduces new challenges and considerations that have to be overcome to ensure it operates as smoothly as traditional models – ideally even better than before. Versatile new tools have been designed to be secure and convenient. When combined with the full participation of the people who manage it, and the people being managed, its implementation is game-changing. Clients switch from cynics to supporters as they see the human connection enhanced with technology that makes a remote employee feel so connected, they might as well be sitting at HR’s desk.

Importantly, the well-being of employees has risen even higher up the HR priority list recently. Many companies can attest to the surprising effectiveness of the great work-from-home experiment. However, as employees began to return to the office, HR managers began to see a marked difference in attitude and mood. The impact on organisational culture and belonging is evident to many. For some employees, the office was a welcome return to normality, far from the sense of isolation experienced at home. However, many employees discovered the importance of a work-life balance.

According to McKinsey, the improvement in flexibility, combined with a healthier separation between personal lives and work obligations, drove workers to reevaluate their relationships with their employers and their work. As a result, many employees are now actively making a case for a hybrid working model, especially as they experience the sudden return to peak hour traffic and the uncomfortable budgeting of fuel costs that have skyrocketed. This revaluation of life could reduce engagement and impact overall performance, which makes a better-accepted hybrid working model more attractive to employers.

While there is an unwillingness by some to shift to a new way of working, it is a reality that cannot be ignored. This is why online HR technology will continue to rise in popularity as it bridges a clear divide. HR teams can now communicate even more effectively with employees wherever and whenever in a way that balances both organisational goals and employee needs. In fact, we’ve found that once the innovation is adopted by clients, it becomes a case of ‘why didn’t we do this sooner?’. Whether the hybrid working model is currently on the corporate agenda or not, the switch to online HR technology is a satisfying inevitability.