Trusted relationships key to success of distributed workforce and remote working

One fundamental change is the way in which workers, whether in an office, at home or in the field, will interact with one another. The majority of employees’ social interactions at work typically occur in person. With the rise of distributed workforces and pivot towards online platforms, businesses will need to cultivate trusting relationships between different industries, business units, and even functions within the same departments so they continue to deliver, even as employees work remotely.

This trust is integral to business success. As new ways of working continue to develop, rebuilding and maintaining relationships between various working individuals and customers is essential for organisations to survive in today’s complex and changing operating environment. Despite fewer face to face meetings, businesses can still retain customer trust by adapting their approach to sales. For instance, some firms may start offering subscriptions with smaller monthly payments, which customers feel more comfortable agreeing to virtually instead of the historical big one-off deal.

In non-office-based industries, organisations are finding new ways to maintain customer trust. In education, teachers and lecturers around the world have pivoted to delivering lessons online in a variety of formats. Elsewhere, retailers are carefully considering how to maintain customer loyalty with digital-first communications as more consumers turn to online shopping. In law, electronic signature solutions offer a more streamlined approach to finalising contracts.

Digital trust relies on robust security. And for security to work across different work environments, it can only achieve this if it is built into the network and apps.  Best of class digital workspace technologies offer safe, reliable, and consistent access from any device, anywhere. Regardless of whether devices are company issued or employee owned, these solutions eliminate the complexities of endpoint management with security features built in, all critical for a distributed workforce.

Finally, employers must put their trust in employees to work remotely, recognising it’s not about assigning specific working hours, but about using their time effectively to produce results. With IT teams working remotely and under immense strain to keep organisations running, giving employees the flexibility to access the applications and devices they need to be productive as possible, in a way that doesn’t compromise security, will be a decisive step in creating an environment of trust.

With a flexible digital workspace platform, organisations can be prepared for unexpected scenarios, delivering the applications they use, to any device they might be using, with user-simple security. The leaders that get the digital strategy of creating a consumer simple, enterprise secure experience correct, will go a long way in building trust with their stakeholders and drive much needed resiliency. Now is not the time to damage this trust.

The current healthcare crisis may have been a shock to our traditional ways of working. But, as leaders everywhere learn to navigate this new world, it’s clear that a recovery without trust will be built on precarious ground.

Key takeaways

• With the pivot towards online platforms, businesses will need to cultivate trusting relationships.
• This trust is integral to business success.
• Businesses can still retain customer trust by adapting their approach to sales.
• Digital trust relies on robust security.