Smart working: the future of hybrid work

What is smart working?

The Smart Working, also known as “New Ways of Working”, is revolutionizing the traditional organization of work by capitalizing on digital technologies and flexibility. This concept aims to energizing work, making it more agile and taking place in a more user-friendly environment, to boost the commitment and creativity of teams.

Faced with the rapid evolution of technologies and growing expectations for increased flexibility, Smart Working is presented as an adaptive solution to new working models.

Smart working: the 3 characteristics around the concept

#1: Reinforcing the digitalization of the company through smart working

Technology is essential to the development of Smart Working because this way of working should allow employees to work from anywhere and under conditions identical to working on site.

So this implies a digitalization of all processes, equipment and the company in general, in order to make the entirely nomadic employee work.

For the moment, the use of mobile phones or laptops remains the easiest to set up.

However, there are still topics that are more difficult to set up, such as the securing data and software.

#2: Adapting workspaces to smart working and hybrid working

Now, working no longer requires a workstation in the company, and the importance lies in the accomplishment of the task and not in the place in which it is carried out.

Read our article on smart working and smart office

The office thus becomes a space for collaboration, and partitioned offices lose their meaning.

Indeed, the”Flex Office”, the”Desk-sharing” and the”open spaces” are new ways of working that allow a better communication and collaboration between employees.

#3: Flexibilize the way of working with smart work

With Smart Working, priority is given to a job well done, no matter where it is done from.

The approach is thus based on a total freedom given to employees, on their schedules, their workplaces or even Their schedules.

However, this new way of working can sometimes weakening social ties collaborators or promote their hyperconnection.

It will thus be noted that businesses are more and more sensitive to these issues. For example in 2021,The right to disconnect employees was a modality present in 2/3 of the agreements and amendments signed on teleworking.

Read also: The right to disconnect

Advantages and challenges of smart working linked to hybrid work

Benefits of Smart Working

Increase in productivity : numerous studies suggest that the flexibility of smart working can lead to increased productivity, as employees work in environments where they feel more comfortable and less stressed.
Attracting and retaining talent : Businesses that adopt smart working often attract top-level talent who are looking for a better reconciliation between professional and private life.
Cost reduction : hybrid working can reduce office space costs and operational expenses because less office space is needed and employees use their own equipment.
Sustainability : less travel means a reduced carbon footprint, which contributes to more sustainable business practices.

Smart Working Challenges

Remote team management : managers need to adapt to new ways to supervise and support their teams remotely, which may include using advanced communication technology and developing new leadership skills.
Data security : with remote work, securing data is becoming more complex. Businesses need to strengthen their cybersecurity policies to protect sensitive information.
Work-life balance : while smart working offers flexibility, it can also lead to a blurred line between work and personal life, potentially leading to stress and fatigue.
Team cohesion : maintaining a corporate culture and team cohesion can be difficult when employees are dispersed and do not meet regularly in person.

Smart Working: the example of EY

EY, the famous financial audit and consulting firm, has opened its initiative”SmartWorking @EY” to all its collaborators.

This system allows everyone “to choose the most appropriate working methods at the moment, according to the client and the team, the mission and the current activity”, details EY on its website.

The objective is simple: more efficiency, autonomy, trust and responsibility.

To do this, the company has accelerated several transformations:

Support the well-being of employees by promoting work-life balance in hybrid mode (office/remote work mix)

Encourage new management methods both in person and on site

Simplifying processes and services to improve the employee experience

“Around the world, we encourage the creation of workplaces that promote an environment of trust and inclusion, stimulate innovation, and allow EY teams to collaborate in a fluid and flexible way,” said Trent Henry, EY Global Vice Chair — Talent.

m-work and smart working

M-Work is a solution to facilitate the new flexible and hybrid organization of work.

The objective of the m-work solution is to enable improving the employee experience, their involvement And the strengthening social ties at work.

Discover m-work for hybrid work