The vast majority of Filipinos want the flexible working arrangements to continue post-pandemic, American multinational technology conglomerate Cisco said on Wednesday.
Karrie Ilagan, the managing director of Cisco Philippines, said Cisco found that Filipino workers want more control over how they work. This, she said, means that Filipinos want to be able to juggle work remotely or in the office.
“Today, 95 percent of Filipino workers actually want more choices in terms of choosing where they do their work even when the pandemic is over,” she said, citing a study conducted by Cisco about hybrid work.
She added that 87 percent of Filipinos believe there is proof that collaboration can be achieved even without being physically present together, while another 51 percent felt increased trust when working remotely.
“The ability to work from anywhere has paved the way for more flexibility and also inclusivity,” she said.
In the world of hybrid work, Cisco found that 98 percent of meetings will have participants who will not be in the same physical location or will be attending their meetings remotely.
“It will not only be that people will not be able back at the office all of the same time, there will also be a difference at the level of frequencies of people being in the office all at the same time,” Ilagan said.
Businesses, she said, will also be providing their workforce with greater flexibility and will soon “rethink their real estate footprint and technology to maximize their capabilities.”
To implement hybrid work successfully, Ilagan said businesses must use the right collaboration solutions.
“Collaboration solutions are integral for business continuity or business resiliency. The right collaboration tools are fundamental for us to thrive in this changed world.”
She said the Philippines is ready for the hybrid set up, noting that Cisco’s Webex solutions have powered almost 2 million minutes of meetings and consultations for the Department of Health (DOH) last year. The Senate has also been using Webex on a daily basis since last year.
“In the last six months, we have added 800 new features and devices to Webex all geared towards creating the most flexible and inclusive user experience for businesses who are looking to be more inclusive in their hybrid work approach and for people who continue to work from anywhere,” said Hariharan S, Managing Director, Software, Cloud and Collaboration, Cisco APJC. “The all-new Webex Suite ensures everyone in a hybrid workforce has equal opportunity and voice.”