Hybrid work requires an unprecedented collaboration between HR and security teams

The new standard for work is hybrid. The COVID-19 epidemic accelerated the distributed workforce trends that were already well-established thanks to the flexibility of cloud computing. Today, most employees want to do their jobs as efficiently as possible anywhere and using any device.

Strong support for hybrid work goes beyond simply fostering a happier and more productive workplace. It is also strongly related to growth. Organizations previously constrained by talent pools connected to office locations can now access the best talent worldwide, wherever they are. Additionally, a recent Accenture survey found that 83% of employees prefer a hybrid model to a prescribed "in the office here, out of the office there" strategy, with nearly two-thirds of high-revenue-growth organizations already using fully hybrid workforce models. Talent retention has made embracing hybrid work not just an excellent method today and into the foreseeable future but a question of competition and survival.

The hybrid work era presents a significant opportunity for technology and security teams to align themselves with human resources teams deliberately. A cyber-awareness culture, where all employees recognize and exercise security responsibilities, has been a focus for businesses for at least a decade. There has long been a significant relationship between these corporate roles. However, in the hybrid work era, this partnership between security and HR needs to go beyond focusing on cyberculture and evaluating the risks of new hires and departing employees. In a hurry to create effective hybrid work environments, the development of this relationship should not be disregarded. Forward-thinking teams are already utilizing their shared mission, and security and HR teams are involved in protecting sensitive data to begin that collaboration.

Modern teams aligning

Ten years ago, security and HR officials were unprepared for the generational shift brought on by hybrid work. Talented workers may feel less loyal to their employers nowadays due to changes in employer ownership brought on by mergers and acquisitions or by working in remote-first environments with little in-person interactions with supervisors and employers. Other additional factors, most of which are recent difficulties, have made organizations reevaluate their employee management strategies. The moment is right for a review of technology's role in society, including what security teams must do to stay up. The connections between the security and HR teams still need much work to be genuinely strategic.

Modern data protection and visibility

A decade ago, sensitive data was safely stored inside the corporate network. Today, data travels and can be accessed from anywhere with the development of cloud and SaaS applications. However, many of these applications are used without the authorization of corporate IT teams, called shadow IT. This change has left organizations employing old networking and security technologies behind and unable to track what their employees are doing with data, let alone understand the context in which they are attempting to access it.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a modern technology framework that prioritizes data protection in an era where cloud apps dominate the industry. Teams must invest in this technology to regain visibility into what is happening with their data. The finest systems provide forensics and perception into suspect worker behavior: Not simply the sudden burst of employees shifting crucial company data onto personal cloud application instances during the last month of employment but also the more subdued indications that employees had been doing so for perhaps much longer than a few months. When security measures accompany data everywhere it goes, and access to data is controlled by the context in which access is requested, modern data protection is achieved.

Security as a cultural enabler

The security team has been the department of restrictions for a long time. But modern teams are increasingly using real-time teaching methods backed by developments in AI for data protection to assist employees toward safer conduct. Solutions may surface and encourage an employee to inquire about suspicious behavior, such as when they appear to be entering sensitive information—such as a social security number—into a website prompt or exchanging screenshots through collaboration tools like Slack instead of simply blocking the action.

This is a technological shift, but it's also a cultural one. This illustrates how security teams can use technology to control harmful conduct. HR teams recognize it as a positive employee experience. Combining the ideas of those teams results in a potent cultural showcase that attempts to reduce the risk of employee experiences. Additionally, it offers the business more security than simply relying on employees to remember their cyber-awareness training.

Accountability

There is a fine line between monitoring employees and fostering a climate of trust among remote workers who are no longer cautious with business resources or are becoming less concerned about security. Teams feel more connected, and rogue behavior is reduced when security and HR reduce risks around hybrid work for everyone. But leadership must act immediately and decisively to address violations of trust by speaking with one voice.

More collaborative modern teams need unique talents

This new and improved collaboration between security and HR will undoubtedly affect how both teams hire. When it comes to leading a diverse and dispersed workforce, you will need more employees, especially senior leaders, who can make decisions independently.

Spend more time in your hiring dialogues determining whether potential candidates are considering these issues for a hybrid work era or are merely attempting to graft antiquated ideas onto how we already live and conduct business. Identifying and prioritizing visionaries who want to address the talent retention issues of now and tomorrow and who see technological solutions as integrating with workforce culture and employee experience can save you a lot of time and management difficulties.