5 Mistakes Companies Are Making in the Digital Workplace
The pandemic has been a reality that companies around the world have shared. It required major changes in how they operate. No longer, did the status quo of having everyone work in the office make sense for everyone. Many organizations had to quickly evolve to working through remote means.rnrnDuring the worst of the pandemic, it’s estimated that 70% of full-time workers were working from home. Even now that the pandemic has hit a new waning phase, remote work is still very much a reality. 92% of surveyed employees expect to still work from home at least 1 or more days per week.rnrnThis transformation has forced companies to rethink the tools and policies they use. Many have also needed to completely revamp how they work. They've had to switch to a cloud-based digital workspace to enable a hybrid team.rnrnThis transition has brought newfound benefits, such as:rn
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- Lower costs for employees and employers rn
- Better employee work/life balance rn
- Higher morale rn
- The same or improved productivity rn
- More flexibility in serving clients rn
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- Vulnerable networks and endpoints rn
- Employees feeling disconnected rn
- Communication problems rn
- Difficulty tracking productivity and accountability rn
- Increased risk of data breaches rn
1. Poor Cloud File Organization
rnWhen companies go virtual for their workflows, files live in a cloud-accessible environment. If those cloud storage environments aren’t well organized, it's a problem. It can be difficult for employees to find the files they need.rnrnAbout 51% of employees have avoided sharing a document with a colleague for this reason. They either couldn’t find it or thought it would be too hard to find. It’s notable that this is the highest percentage recorded for this stat in the IGLOO report. Meaning that this problem is getting worse.rnrnSome tips for making shared cloud storage files easier to locate are:rn- rn
- Keep file structure flat (2-3 folders deep) rn
- Create a consistent hierarchy and naming structure rn
- Don’t create a file for fewer than 10 documents rn
- Archive and delete older files monthly to reduce clutter rn
2. Leaving Remote Workers Out of the Conversation
rnNo one likes to hear people start talking about something at a meeting and realize they're lost. They missed an important piece of an earlier conversation. Many companies haven’t yet overcome in-person vs remote communication challenges.rnrnIn fact, nearly 60% of remote workers say they miss out on important information. This is because colleagues first communicated it in person. Efficiency suffers when in-office workers make decisions without regard for remote colleagues.rnrnManagers and bosses must lead the way in changing this culture. While old habits do take a while to change, mindset can transition to be more inclusive of the hybrid world.rn3. Not Addressing Unauthorized Cloud App use
rnUnauthorized cloud app use (also known as Shadow IT) was already a problem before the pandemic. That problem escalated once people began working from home. Which is often using their personal devices.rnrnOver half (57%) of employees use at least one unauthorized app in their workflow. When this happens, organizations can suffer in many ways.rnrnSome of the risks of shadow IT include:rn- rn
- Data leakage from non-secured apps rn
- Date privacy compliance violations rn
- Redundancies in app use that increase costs rn
- Unprotected company data due to a lack of visibility rn
- The employee leaves and no one can access the data in the unauthorized app rn