Cisco found that a hybrid model can led to an improved work-life balance without limiting an employee’s growth
According to Cisco Software Engineer Richa Daga, the future of work is hybrid. At RCR Wireless News’ Women in Telco event, Daga shared results from a global Cisco study that looked at employee perspective of hybrid work, revealing that remote work is overwhelmingly supported and that it even has positive implications for fostering a more diverse telecom industry.
In fact, the survey showed that 62% of employees agree that their ability to work from anywhere impacts whether they remain at a job, while 78% of respondents believe hybrid and remote working has improved all aspects of well-being, including mental health and social well-being.
“Productivity today has been fueled by employees’ new-found elasticity and an evolution of leadership style,” said Daga, adding though that truly supporting the workforce of the future “starts with investing in technologies and tools.”
Seventy-seven percent of those that took part in the Cisco survey stated that tech support as a top priority for working from home successfully, while 53% said increased use of technology was a critical factor.
Daga spoke to the importance of technology and connectivity further: “If companies … are not supporting that kind of hybrid culture post the pandemic and technology evolution is not being used … 77% of respondents said that their company needs to rethink their culture … As any hybrid worker can attest to, connectivity can be a significant issue when working away from the office. Eighty-four percent say networking infrastructure is essential for a seamless working from home experience … [and] 62% say suffering connectivity issues on a regular basis is career limiting for remote working.”
Hybrid work and women in the workforce
Cisco ultimately found that a hybrid model can led to an improved work-life balance without limiting an employee’s growth — 79% said that working away from the office improved their work-life balance and 83% said they have been able to learn, grow and succeed in their roles over the last two years. Daga further stated that remote work has also “contributed to an increase in performance.”
Even more than all of that, though, it is becoming clear that hybrid work has the potential to give women in the workforce back some of what they lost during the pandemic. It’s no secret that women were disproportionately impacted by the workforce disruptions caused by COVID-19. To illustrate this fact further, Daga referenced a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, which found that women’s jobs were 1.8 times more vulnerable to the COVID crisis than men’s jobs.
“Women make up 39% of global employment but account for 54% of overall job losses,” Daga said, adding that one major reason for such a disparity was the increased need for unpaid care, a responsibility that is disproportionally carried by women. “This meant that women’s employment dropped faster than average,” she said.
Remote or hybrid work, though, offers women — even those still providing additional care or taking on more household responsibilities — with the opportunity to meaningful enter back into the workforce. That’s because working away from an office means more flexibility throughout the day, more time back to focus on growing or learning new skills and the option to cast a wider net when job searching.
“If nothing is done in terms of women’s employment … it could negatively influence … the economic and social lives of women, as well as economic growth more broadly,” concluded Daga. “By contrast, investing in women and girls in the [pandemic] recovery represents a significant opportunity to improve gender equality and drive inclusive economic growth.”
