Boost employee productivity with top technologies

Flexible work is shaping the future of work in Southeast Asia.¹ Implementing hybrid work arrangements increases employee engagement and productivity levels, while improving talent retention and attraction. Research reveals that 60% of full-time employees in the region prefer flexible work.²

Two key factors drive the success of flexible work—a new emphasis on employee health and well-being, and a growing push to help employees succeed in both physical and remote work environments.² In light of this shift, companies must provide employees with all the support they need to work from anywhere.

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed our relationship with digital workplace solutions. An employee’s satisfaction with work technologies correlates with their overall well-being. For example, employees dissatisfied with said technologies report feeling more burnt out or generally unhappy with their work, and are twice as likely to leave their jobs.³

Employees still face various challenges around access to tools, apps, data, and networks. According to IDC, employees demand certain technologies to support their productivity and improve their job satisfaction while working flexibly.⁴ These are: moving data and applications to the cloud, collaboration tools, connectivity or broadband solutions, 5G connectivity, and on-demand IT support.

Singtel’s suite of services and network flexibility can support this new way of working, improving employee happiness and satisfaction in the process. Here’s how.

Employees are more satisfied when they can do their jobs flexibly and with fewer disruptions. All these supportive technologies—from the cloud to 5G and other connectivity solutions—power flexible work, which employees want to stay beyond the pandemic. Employees in Southeast Asia largely define flexibility as having control over the hours they want to work (33%) and having the ability to work from any location (24%).⁵

In Asia-Pacific, more than 56% of employees want flexible work, with more than 70% stating their productivity was higher than pre-pandemic levels.⁶ Flexible work is also a stronger driver of employee retention (66%) than a four-day work week (50%).⁵

Further, research also shows that employees would choose flexible work arrangements over pay increases offered by employers to return to the office.⁷ In light of rising costs, especially for food and transportation, flexible work arrangements are arguably a more cost-effective alternative. To retain top talent, organisations must provide all the necessary technologies that support this evolved way of working.  

As part of a larger digital transformation strategy, many organisations migrate their data and applications to the cloud. According to Gartner, more than half of enterprise IT spending will shift to the cloud by 2025.⁸

The cloud is the cornerstone of hybrid and remote work—it enables your teams to work from anywhere and gives them access to vital company data anytime. Companies with a well-established cloud computing strategy enjoy high levels of employee satisfaction.

Services such as Singtel’s Cloud Connect, a part of its Liquid-X^TM portfolio, provide superior connectivity to public cloud platforms. It gives your employees consistent and predictable connections between private and public clouds, ensuring secure and fast connections for optimal performance.

MyConnect Portal, another service under our Liquid-X^TM portfolio, gives your employees an integrated dashboard to access company resources and business analytics. Users can enjoy easy access with a single sign-on and multi-factor authentication for security.

Communication with and between hybrid and remote workers was a significant challenge during the pandemic.⁹ Employees reported difficulty communicating and collaborating with co-workers and customers alike.¹⁰

Research shows that good communication tools sustain team collaboration and foster cultural bonds in remote teams.¹ Good communication tools, such as Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) solutions, integrate the enhanced capabilities of voice, messaging, and video to improve employee and customer experience.¹¹

Singtel’s CPaaS solutions unify business communications with flexible and immersive voice, telephony, and SMS services. You can customise functionalities through APIs, or application programming interfaces, to fit your employees' communication styles and preferences.

IDC data shows that connectivity programmes are a priority for 81% of organisations.¹² Embracing 5G, edge computing, and cloud infrastructure and services will be vital for delivering on connectivity programmes’ promise for companies.

5G will be critical as it can unlock unprecedented levels of mobile connectivity. It can reach underserved areas and provide quality internet access, unlocking significant social impact and enabling employees to work from anywhere.¹³ By 2025, around 30% of organisations worldwide will benefit from 5G connectivity¹²

As a faster and more reliable mobile network, 5G can power other emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and drones, all of which can help improve employee productivity and efficiency.¹⁴

5G also gives businesses additional leverage in crafting new employee experiences, allowing teams to connect and collaborate in innovative ways. As 5G comes online, more devices, machines, and systems can be interconnected, weaving technology even more tightly into the fabric of your employees’ life.

Singtel’s software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), another service under our Liquid-X^TM portfolio, provides flexible and agile network connectivity that adapts to your changing business needs. We also offer the most advanced standalone 5G connectivity, providing better coverage and a one-stop platform for all your 5G needs.

As we navigate the new world of work, superior work technologies help boost your employees’ productivity and satisfaction as they work flexibly. Singtel’s suite of services and reliable network connectivity empowers your employees to foster a healthy relationship with work and technology. Get in touch with us today to get started.

References

1. HRM Asia, Flexible working shaping the future of work in ASEAN, May 2022.
2. Human Resources Online, Workers in Malaysia and Singapore prefer flexible work arrangements over shorter workweek, June 2022.
3. Salesforce, New Research Shows Employee Satisfaction Boosted by Superior Work Technology, June 2021.
4. IDC, New IDC Report Reveals 56% of Asia/Pacific* Employees Want Flexible Work Even Beyond the Pandemic, March 2022.
5. Human Resources Online, Workers in Malaysia and Singapore prefer flexible work arrangements over shorter workweek, June 2022.
6. IDC, New IDC Report Reveals 56% of Asia/Pacific* Employees Want Flexible Work Even Beyond the Pandemic, March 2022.
7. HRM Asia, Value of hybrid work may overtake pay increase, October 2022.
8. Gartner, Gartner Says More Than Half of Enterprise IT Spending in Key Market Segments Will Shift to the Cloud by 2025, February 2022.
9. IDC, IT Leaders Face Choices and Challenges in Moving Toward a Flexible Hybrid Work Environment, August 2022.
10.  IDC, Remote Work in the COVID-19 Era: Are We Ready?, March 2020.
11. Gartner, Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS)
12. IDC, IDC FutureScape: Top 10 Worldwide Future of Connectedness Predictions, November 2022.
13. World Economic Forum, The Impact of 5G: Creating New Value across Industries and Society, January 2020.
14. PwC Global, New opportunities ahead with 5G, December 2022.