The Back2School Scholarship Award Ceremony was held virtually by KMS on December 8 last year. Photo courtesy of KMS Technology

Thu Hằng

HCM CITY —  The hybrid model of work, combining working from the office with working from anywhere, will be critical for attracting and retaining diverse talent as they return to the workplace post-pandemic, experts have said.

Employers are turning to a hybrid work model as a rising trend of the "new normal," according to the Vietnam Employment Outlook Survey conducted by the workforce solutions company ManpowerGroup Vietnam.

In the next three to six months, more than half (51 per cent) of surveyed companies plan to apply hybrid work for their staff, the survey found.

Only just over one-third (38 per cent) want to return to office-based working.

Particularly, hybrid work is also preferred in industries that have traditionally required a high level of workplace presence such as wholesale, retail and trading (53 per cent), professional consulting services (69 per cent), and ICT (47 per cent).

The Vietnam Employment Outlook Survey Q1 Q2 2022 was conducted on 153 employers in 21 industries nationwide from November to December last year.

ManpowerGroup Vietnam has adopted the hybrid working model since May last year.

Nguyễn Thanh Hương, country HR manager at ManpowerGroup Vietnam told Việt Nam News that hybrid working gave employees flexibility in getting work done and caring for their families.

Productivity at work has been maintained for most roles regardless of the disruptions and impact of the pandemic.

A hybrid work model offers a range of benefits for employees and their employers that includes flexibility and autonomy and reduction in business operation costs, she said.

It is an ideal model for companies to handle unexpected issues and adapt quickly to changes, she added.

In a digital work world, companies need to create a proper hybrid work environment, offering employees essential tools such as laptops, software and applications to assist them with working on digital platforms.

Employees need to embrace digital skills in the shift to a hybrid working model to ensure connection and networks with co-workers, she said.

Thanh Nguyễn, CEO of the human resource consultancy Anphabe, said that employees were now expecting to continue to have the flexibility of hybrid working after lockdown measures are lifted.

Making a shift in ways of working is crucial to respond to these expectations, Thanh said.

Many companies discovered that remote work allowed their employees to be more productive while enjoying a better work-life balance, she said.

Anphabe’s survey carried out from May to August last year found that more than half (56 per cent) of surveyed knowledge workers wanted the flexibility of hybrid working post-pandemic.

Four per cent of surveyed respondents said they were ready to leave their current jobs to have flexibility in their work arrangements.

Eight in ten surveyed respondents said they would accept a reduction of 6.6 per cent in salary to work under the flexible and hybrid working model.

As the hybrid working model is seen as the future, companies need to leverage remote working arrangements to attract and retain talent, Thanh said.

In the transition to hybrid working, the trust of employees and managers in this working style is a prerequisite, alongside technical background, she said.

Hybrid offices

With some companies taking advantage of having their workforce remote by downsizing their office space, a hybrid office model for these businesses is a good option.

Từ Thị Hồng An, director of commercial leasing at Savills HCM City, said “The post lockdown office market is resilient with high demand and low supply. Hybrid offices are becoming increasingly popular and are now a viable and cost-effective solution.

“Tenants from the IT sector are the most active, seeking offices across all grades. Despite a supply shortage, rents are unlikely to increase as small office absorption is slowing down,” An said.

The hybrid working model brings benefits for companies who are seeking expansion amid the low supply of CBD office market, she said.

Cybersecurity threats

Võ Lê Trí, senior security manager at KMS Technology, said KMS had shifted its entire workforce to FlexiWork, new working arrangements that allow employees to work under a flexible and hybrid model.

He said that companies would experience an increase in cybersecurity threats as they support their workforce to go remote.

KMS Technology had to evolve cybersecurity approaches, technology solutions, and policies to enable employees to access the company network security and ensure business continuity when the employees work remotely, he said.

Employees will need appropriate training and guidance to ensure they have the digital skills to leverage them effectively and productively.

Security awareness training courses are being delivered to the entire workforce to raise their awareness and better prepare staff for the hybrid and flexible work environment.

In the transition to a remote working environment, the company has focused on efforts to tackle cybersecurity threats such as enforcing and oversight cybersecurity measures and policies.

Raising security awareness among employees is key to evolving cybersecurity approaches, he said. —VNS