As companies increasingly adopt hybrid work arrangements, organizational security is being necessarily reframed in light of what this strategy entails. Gone are the days of simple nine-to-five access needs; now, businesses must face up to a complex schedule that demands adaptable and intelligent solutions. 

In turn, security measures must strike a balance between ensuring safety and respecting personal boundaries, which is no small feat, as any HR pro will no doubt have gathered.

Efficiently adopting these modern practices requires a strategic approach – and crucially, one that reconciles the twin imperatives of cost and functionality. So let’s look at how this might be achieved, and why it’s necessary now that hybrid work is the norm, not the outlier.

Adapting Access for the Hybrid Office

The hybrid office model brings with it a paradigm shift in physical security needs. People may be coming and going from the office irregularly, rather than there being consistent arrival and departure times during the morning rush hour and evening exodus, as used to be a near universal reality for companies with physical premises.

Here are some of the developments we’re seeing which set out to ensure businesses can cope with the dynamism of access that’s inevitable post-adoption of hybrid work models:

Demand for Dynamic Access Control

We’ve actually seen a dip in the number of organizations that believe their current access control setup is fit for purpose, with a HID Global study showing that just 59% of firms are confident in how they’re handling things at the moment. 

That’s where the rollout of dynamic solutions becomes an imperative move, since it makes it much simpler to manage the ebb and flow of employees and site visitors over the course of a given working day.

Smart Scheduling Integration

There are a couple of things to do here:

• Align access control software with employee scheduling tools to enable automatic updates of permissions based on work rosters.
• Create tiered access levels to accommodate full-time office staff, remote workers coming in occasionally, and guests.

Geographical Considerations

Businesses need to think global, but secure local. Design systems that provide robust security measures at multiple company locations while allowing seamless entry for employees traveling between offices. 

For instance, it’s more cost-efficient to have a sliding electric gate setup which is available to protect parking lot access across multiple sites, but which is controlled by a single overarching access control system. 

That way it’s easier to justify the necessary upfront investment in the hardware, as the savings made possible at the software side of things will soften the blow – as we’ll explore in more detail later on.

In short, now is the time to invest in technologies that will deliver both flexibility and security—which are two facets that HR professionals need to encompass in their responsibilities, even if physical security might seem like a remote consideration for specialists in this field. 

If it falls short and issues arise, the HR department will undoubtedly be embroiled in the fallout, so it’s better to prevent potential problems when pushing through a hybrid work model, rather than leaving it to chance.

Preserving Privacy in Presence Monitoring

The hybrid work model presents another challenge, and a delicate one at that. We are of course talking about monitoring the physical presence of employees for safety and productivity without infringing on their right to privacy. 

As the office becomes a hub for scheduled collaboration rather than daily occupancy, presence monitoring must evolve. Things to take into account in this context include:

The Balancing Act of Safety and Privacy

A CBRE survey found that even with remote work rising in popularity, 71% of businesses now request that team members head back to the office for at least part of their working week. 

In addition, 57% of firms are actively investigating attendance levels on-site in order to ensure central policies are being adhered to rather than flouted – and this includes implementing non-invasive methods for tracking employee presence. 

Access monitoring which happens unobtrusively is preferred over more active and disruptive methods, such as old-school time cards and sign-in sheets.

Non-Intrusive Solutions

So now that presence monitoring is a must, there are a couple of ways that businesses can do this without stumbling over some of the aforementioned sticking points:

• Utilize anonymous occupancy sensors that track movement patterns without identifying individuals.
• Implement check-in systems through apps that allow employees to manually indicate their presence, offering a sense of control over personal data.

Transparent Communication

For HR pros, keeping employees in the loop on any changes to how their attendance is tracked should be handled sensitively, and should involve:

• Engaging with staff to explain the purpose and procedures behind monitoring technologies, fostering an environment of trust.
• Offering clear opt-out clauses for certain types of data collection where possible.

It’s basically a case of maintaining a culture of respect while fulfilling security needs, and openness lies at the center of this process – just as it does in the instance of data security. It reinforces trust as employees understand that their wellbeing is at the heart of these measures – and it’s not just strict oversight with punitive intent pushing it forward. 

This balance can enhance both morale and compliance, so long as it’s dealt with in the right way.

Weighing Material vs. Metaphysical Costs

When integrating physical security measures in a hybrid work environment, the financial aspect becomes as critical as the practical one, as we’ve touched on earlier. Investments in security must be weighed against their tangible benefits to ensure that resources aren’t just spent mindlessly, but utilized with maximum efficiency. 

Here’s what this looks like:

Mindful Investment

While the cost of adapting to future physical security trends may be steep on paper, it’s worth noting that each year on-site incidents cost businesses $1 trillion collectively according to the World Security Report. 

So investing mindfully means you’re both making savvy choices that benefit your operations in terms of overall efficiency and employee convenience, as well as sidestepping the potentially more significant expenses that could come about after a breach.

Automated Physical Barriers

Automation is the main must-have in physical security for hybrid working models, and to implement it well you must:

• Assess the necessity of traditional physical barriers versus digital alternatives, considering factors like frequency of use and required maintenance.
• Evaluate automated systems that provide robust security without the need for constant manual intervention or supervision.

Material Reassessment

Managing costs can also apply to the material aspect of the equation, so if you’re responsible for this project, explore the following:

• Look at lightweight materials and modular designs that offer flexibility and lower costs compared to permanent structures.
• Consider leasing options for high-end barriers that provide an opportunity for upgrades without initial heavy capital investment.

Final Thoughts

HR professionals need to be on top of all sorts of facets that are involved in enabling employees to work in the hybrid way – with at-home and on-site collaborations relying on access control and security for both digital and physical resources to flourish. 

This trend is going nowhere, and will bring with it many more changes as adoption ramps up, so you have to spearhead this change, or else face being swept away by it.

Guest writer.