Are business leaders prepared for the next big workplace disruption? It’s hard to say. Of course, two years ago we all thought that we were well-positioned for the future, but no one knew what was lingering just around the corner.

The hard truth is that the only constant is change, and business leaders must be ready for anything to stay ahead. Many businesses are still struggling with how to evolve in the face of disruption, but those that succeed will see it as an opportunity to innovate and change their business processes for the better. And while this is a winning strategy, it also means that organizations will need to fundamentally change how they work with all their stakeholders: employees, customers and partners.

Here are some tips to keep in mind to foster innovation and be successful in this new era.

Solidify Your Hybrid Work Model

While business leaders were skeptical of hybrid work at first, the benefits of this model have come into view. Recent data from our Era of Hyper Innovation study found that business investment in new technology over the past year has not only increased collaboration among workers but also fueled a $678 billion boost in revenue across industries around the world.

Beyond an increase to the bottom line, the ability to seamlessly offer hybrid work is critical for employee happiness and retention. Over the course of the pandemic, it became increasingly clear that employees want the option to work from home or from the office each day. The results from our Future of Work study confirmed this, with over half of employees responding that they expect this flexibility on a daily basis.

Needless to say, we have witnessed a complete ecosystem shift in the way that people work. The traditional hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in an office simply no longer exists. Along with this shift, employee expectations have — and will continue to — increase. No matter where they choose to sign on from on any given day, workers expect the same seamless digital experience. In this new world of work, delivering a unified, secure and simplified work experience will be key to success.

Continuously Deliver on Employee Expectations

With hybrid work becoming the norm, it is a business imperative to invest and rollout technology tools that nurture collaboration, innovation and employee satisfaction. And this investment pays off: almost nine in 10 business leaders (88 percent) say that the recent rollout and adoption of new work tech tools has vastly improved company collaboration, and 80 percent expect their organization to enter a hyper-innovation phase due to tech-powered hybrid working, generating more ideas than ever before. Not to mention, the data-sharing capabilities these tools offer is critical to businesses becoming more intelligent over time.

As the business landscape continues to evolve, however, employee expectations will, too. To prepare for the next workplace disruption, businesses must be able to dynamically adapt based on ever-shifting employee preferences and business needs. The “elastic workplace” is one that not only consistently delivers exceptional and unified employee experiences but is also equipped to meet new demands and shift strategies as needed.

Choose the Right Security Framework

Security is also a key consideration in improving the employee experience and ensuring business continuity. Protecting users, apps, and data in the era of remote work requires constant vigilance and the right framework.

Therefore, businesses must determine how to maintain high levels of security for employees while still allowing access from the office, their living room or a coffee shop. In this new world, workers need to be able to work however best suits their purposes — any location, device, or network — without being frustrated by a constrained or complex user experience. Organizations should focus on enabling employees to leverage the benefits of “work from anywhere” while appropriately and effectively managing risk.

Stay One Step Ahead

While many companies viewed remote work as a short-term solution for the pandemic, they now recognize that it must be a part of their permanent workforce and growth strategy.

To get out of this reactive cycle and ahead of the next disruption, businesses must focus on delivering consistently positive employee experiences while staying nimble enough to quickly adapt to (or predict) new demands that could be right around the corner.