Hybrid Work and HR: Privacy, Compliance and Data Risks

The recent pandemic has changed the workplace in many ways including the rapid adoption of the hybrid workplace.  

As restrictions ease and our lives return to a somewhat “normal”, employees are rethinking their careers and resigning in large numbers. With an increase in resignations, comes an increased risk of data leakage. Be it malicious or inadvertent, valuable data is going with them.  

As a result, compliance has recently become a key workload across many organisations and departments including the human resources team.  

Whilst Microsoft can assist with discovery, analysis and presentation of risks and workplace harassment, there are other factors to consider. HR leaders are considering ways to drive cultural change and build a safe and fair workplace to ensure privacy, staff retention, and mitigating risks around data leakages.  

 
Challenges with the hybrid workplace  

One of the key challenges within the workplace is trust. During the pandemic, we saw a rapid adoption of the hybrid workplace with more people working remotely. This trend is continuing with more workplaces adopting a flexible approach to the way they operate. This presents challenges around recruitment, retaining and developing employees without having a physical presence in the workplace. How do we keep employees engaged and accountable whilst fostering trust?  

Another challenge is the capability for HR to manage potential data leakage of personal employee data. Previously, management for subject rights request was automated whereas now it’s manual.  

We want to create a safe and desirable workplace to support employees whilst keeping our core values front and centre. In an environment where there is a large pool of talent, people have more choices in terms of employment. It’s a matter of need to stand out as a desirable and trustworthy place to work.  

Creating a safe and inclusive workplace  

Starting with a top-down approach, HR are driving initiatives to maintain a positive organisational culture and morale to mitigate risks through employee retention. HR can work closely with management to drive those initiatives for cultural change.  

Privacy and employee data 

Another concern around trust is how organisations manage employee data. There is a perception that organisations are using data to micromanage or target a specific employee. A level of governance needs to be applied to create thoughtfulness around how we use employee data. Transparency is key so employees understand how their data is being used to measure business trends and improve the employee experience rather than a tool to micromanage. This fosters trust within the workplace. 

Cyberbullying and harassment 

Bullying and harassment in the workplace are not new concepts. However, how it’s conducted since the pandemic has shifted. To stay connected in the hybrid workplace, we are communicating in an online environment using various communication platforms. This presents new challenges where employees may act differently online than what they would in a traditional workspace. However, with the right technology employees are safer as we can detect harassment through technology and address the issue sooner.  

How to detect insider risks 

As well as cultural change, having the right technology plays a massive part in detecting insider risks. In fact, 74% of organisations are likely to adopt solutions to detect insider trading, data oversharing, offensive content, bribery, and data theft. Microsoft can help put automated processes in place to detect bullying and harassment, insider trading, and data leaks. It can also detect, present, and analyse risks for legal reasons and help meet regulatory compliance requirements. It is better to detect risk before it happens to avoid losing trust amongst employees, damaging the organisation’s reputation, and face legal consequences. 

Want to learn more? 

Join us for our third episode in the Microsoft data governance, risks and compliance and security webinar series to hear from our expert panel as they take you through common compliance challenges that HR face today. They will share their insights and best practices for employee retention to help mitigate risk.