[APAC] Flexible working policy opened door to wider talent pool

New research shows that nearly half of APAC Chief Information Officers (44 per cent) believe that having a flexible working policy has opened the door to a wider pool of highly skilled individuals, SIA reports.

The research from global connectivity firm Expereo revealed that 42 per cent of APAC CIOs say their team is now based in different countries/markets. The global average is 38 per cent.

The way we work has changed and over half (51 per cent) of APAC CIOs reportedly believe that flexible working is the key driver for retaining and recruiting the most skilled employees. Nearly a third of APAC CIOs (32 per cent) say they have hired an individual into their team that they have never met in person.

According to Expereo’s research, working three days or less in-office is the new normal for almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of businesses in APAC. Close to half (44 per cent) of APAC CIOs believe the increased demand for hybrid/remote working is being driven by cost of living pressures. 

However, 29 per cent of APAC CIOs expect to see an increase in the number of days they expect people to work from the office. This is due to productivity concerns with employees working from home, 30 per cent of respondents said; 30 per cent also said home connectivity issues for their employees have a consistent impact on productivity.

The trade-off for access to a greater number of - and better-skilled - employees is that, for many APAC CIOs, ensuring application performance across multiple locations (43 per cent) and providing 24/7 support across multiple time zones (34 per cent) reportedly increases pressure on their teams.

Eric Wong - Head of Asia Pacific at Expereo - said, "As organisations in Asia Pacific expand their footprint globally to drive growth, they must address the complexities and obstacles involved in meeting the changing needs of a global workforce. More people will now work from different locations and it's crucial for the business to have the capability to adapt the dynamics of the network quickly to cater to diverse connectivity needs.

"The key to doing so is having the right technology in place to facilitate connectivity and collaboration in a remote working environment. Ultimately, hybrid working is all about staying connected and enabling interaction with colleagues and customers, regardless of where you are in the world."

The top three barriers to delivering global growth are the usage of legacy systems (36 per cent), lack of local knowledge (36 per cent) and understanding of technology challenges at the Board level (36 per cent), according to CIOs in APAC. 

Striking the right mix of business and technology skills was specifically revealed to be the most challenging thing for 42 per cent of APAC CIOs as they recruit.

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of APAC CIOs stated that finding the right competencies for their team in governance and regulatory compliance is a challenge, while expertise in growth technologies such as data analytics (44 per cent), cyber security (43 per cent), AI/ML (40 per cent) and App development (40 per cent) led the list as the most challenging skills to recruit for.

Source: SIA

(Quotes via original reporting)

New research shows that nearly half of APAC Chief Information Officers (44 per cent) believe that having a flexible working policy has opened the door to a wider pool of highly skilled individuals, SIA reports.

The research from global connectivity firm Expereo revealed that 42 per cent of APAC CIOs say their team is now based in different countries/markets. The global average is 38 per cent.

The way we work has changed and over half (51 per cent) of APAC CIOs reportedly believe that flexible working is the key driver for retaining and recruiting the most skilled employees. Nearly a third of APAC CIOs (32 per cent) say they have hired an individual into their team that they have never met in person.

According to Expereo’s research, working three days or less in-office is the new normal for almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of businesses in APAC. Close to half (44 per cent) of APAC CIOs believe the increased demand for hybrid/remote working is being driven by cost of living pressures. 

However, 29 per cent of APAC CIOs expect to see an increase in the number of days they expect people to work from the office. This is due to productivity concerns with employees working from home, 30 per cent of respondents said; 30 per cent also said home connectivity issues for their employees have a consistent impact on productivity.

The trade-off for access to a greater number of - and better-skilled - employees is that, for many APAC CIOs, ensuring application performance across multiple locations (43 per cent) and providing 24/7 support across multiple time zones (34 per cent) reportedly increases pressure on their teams.

Eric Wong - Head of Asia Pacific at Expereo - said, "As organisations in Asia Pacific expand their footprint globally to drive growth, they must address the complexities and obstacles involved in meeting the changing needs of a global workforce. More people will now work from different locations and it's crucial for the business to have the capability to adapt the dynamics of the network quickly to cater to diverse connectivity needs.

"The key to doing so is having the right technology in place to facilitate connectivity and collaboration in a remote working environment. Ultimately, hybrid working is all about staying connected and enabling interaction with colleagues and customers, regardless of where you are in the world."

The top three barriers to delivering global growth are the usage of legacy systems (36 per cent), lack of local knowledge (36 per cent) and understanding of technology challenges at the Board level (36 per cent), according to CIOs in APAC. 

Striking the right mix of business and technology skills was specifically revealed to be the most challenging thing for 42 per cent of APAC CIOs as they recruit.

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of APAC CIOs stated that finding the right competencies for their team in governance and regulatory compliance is a challenge, while expertise in growth technologies such as data analytics (44 per cent), cyber security (43 per cent), AI/ML (40 per cent) and App development (40 per cent) led the list as the most challenging skills to recruit for.

Source: SIA

(Quotes via original reporting)