Creating Equitable and Productive Hybrid Working Environments
Lauren Clark, Head of People at Mint Group.
No time to read? Snack on these:
- South Africa’s hybrid work model faces unique hurdles: power outages, bandwidth gaps, and workplace inequality.
- Technology that bridges the digital divide is essential to unifying remote and in-office teams.
- Inclusive hybrid meetings depend on hardware, platform parity, and engaged facilitation.
- Security strategies for distributed teams are vital in regulated industries like finance and healthcare.
- Wellbeing, flexibility, and inclusion must be embedded in any sustainable hybrid work policy.
- The right tools and technologies are key to optimizing hybrid working frameworks.
Many South African companies are still resistant to continued hybrid working even though most employees prefer it. Flexible hours and hybrid working are still core requirements for a large percentage of job seekers with the number of people opting into flexible working increased to 30% in 2024, up from 20% in 2023. This is echoed by recruitment platforms which report how companies with hybrid or flexible working policies have a clear advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.
However, successfully adopting a hybrid working mindset requires a solid hybrid working framework, and this can be challenging, especially in the South African environment. Unreliable power supply, patchy internet coverage, and profound socioeconomic disparities in digital access mean that local companies are navigating realities that global playbooks often overlook.
Hybrid working isn’t just about flexibility. It is also about overcoming the very real risk of digital exclusion and it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to invest in infrastructure and solutions that keep everyone on the same digital page. Hybrid workforces need to be equipped with the right tools so that they can be successfully productive.
Technology that Bridges the Divide for Hybrid Work
Creating a truly inclusive hybrid workplace requires companies to actively invest in remote work technology that levels the playing field. This means going beyond laptops and virtual private networks (VPNs) to consider:
- Cloud collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint that can centralise work and help remove data silos, improving employees’ ability to connect and share information with their colleagues and clients.
- Digital workplace tools that foster engagement such as shared whiteboards, task visibility dashboards and instant file co-authoring.
- Low-bandwidth solutions and offline functionality that accommodate different types of internet access and take into consideration the fact that many people are burdened with the necessity of purchasing expensive data.
Bridging the gap between office and home has become important for organisations to enable optimal employee performance, increased morale, and improved talent retention.
How to Create Equal and Secure Hybrid Frameworks in the South African Workplace
Hybrid meetings can often reinforce proximity bias where in-person attendees naturally dominate conversations. This can unintentionally create divides across teams, departments, and offices. Companies must foster an inclusive workplace technology culture to facilitate new or improved ways of working in a hybrid world.
This can be achieved using consistent meeting platforms, investing in tools that are designed to include virtual participants, and meeting room setups with high-quality audio and video.
Then, of course, there’s the security question. Securing the hybrid workforce requires more than firewalls and endpoint protection. Organisations need a coordinated approach to identity, access, compliance, and threat visibility, not only if you operate in a regulated industry like finance.
Some of the core solutions worth implementing are:
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Sentinel provide real-time threat detection and response capabilities across distributed environments.
- Zero Trust frameworks using Microsoft Entra ID, formerly Azure Active Directory, enforce least privilege access and conditional controls across locations.
- Information protection and compliance manager help you apply data classification, encryption and DLP policies in line with POPIA and industry requirements.
Mint Group’s deep expertise in Microsoft’s cloud, security, productivity, and automation platforms that your organization can structure, deploy, and continuously optimize within your hybrid environment to suit your changing employee and business needs. With technology like Power BI for consolidated task management, Microsoft Viva for tracking team connections and sentiment, and custom-built solutions, Mint can help you create a space for hybrid that has long-term impact.
