Why the IT and HR Department Need a Collaborative Strategy to Improve Business Outcomes or Performance

The working model of businesses has changed drastically over the last few months, with almost the entire workforce in the country working from home. What’s fascinating is that some organisations are planning on reducing the number of physical locations, considering long-term remote working. Companies are looking to bring harmony between employee productivity, employee engagement and security. In this new era of ‘Working from Home’, it’s impossible to overlook certain challenges.

Working remotely sometimes affects productivity due to various reasons. The technology that assists us with our work, and the initiatives that support us emotionally are strongly related. Therefore, IT and HR departments need to join hands to help organisations successfully overcome the pandemic.

Security is a Collective Responsibility

The IT team is responsible for the cybersecurity of an organisation. It has been their job to implement the appropriate technologies to keep the organisation safe. But, in the current scenario, the cybersecurity vertical has become more and more complex with new and advanced threats. Remote working has caused the increased usage of vulnerable services, increasing the chances of an attack on individuals and thereby the organisations.

These attacks not only disturb the day-to-day business activities but also cause a great deal of stress to the employees. While the technology can protect the individuals from these attacks, the employees must also be trained to identify potential threats and to handle these attempts.

While IT takes care of the technology part, it becomes employees’ responsibility to stay aware of the security threats and follow the policies. This is where IT and HR collaborate in protecting the organisation, with HR playing its role by communicating the importance of security to the workforce. It is also practical to have tips and techniques to stay alert and mitigate the risk.

HR can add Great Value

A distributed workforce can pose many challenges to business performance. In these uncertain times, the HR team should ensure information like useful WFH tips, fixing minor IT issues, etc. is available to the employees. A single source of information can help a great deal in this case.

Sharing resources easily, communicating with the team with no disruption is the key to increasing productivity. Conduct activities that enhance a sense of collaboration. Activities that help employees cope with difficult situations, and uncertainties, enhances trust and indicates care. Small yet genuine gestures can bring a world of difference in the relationship with the employees.