Introduction

To gain a better understanding of how workers are coping with the global pandemic, Cisco commissioned Censuswide to survey 14,000+ people in 14 markets in Asia Pacific, Japan and China. The study captured their perceptions on working from home this year, their expectations for their organizations in 2021, and what learnings and new working practices they wish to adopt for the future. Finally, it sets a path forward for business leaders looking beyond the new normal.

Introduction

Methodology Details

14,000 + consumers in 14 markets
Cisco commissioned Censuswide to survey 14,000 people in 14 markets. All had been working from home for 10 consecutive days or more, since the start of the pandemic lockdown in early 2020.

Markets surveyed were:
Australia, India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Hong Kong

The survey included workers in
businesses with up to 500+ employees across a number
of sectors.

The survey was carried out
September 8 to October 14, 2020.

Introduction

The survey shows that employees put a high value on flexibility. They want more control over their work hours, with the ability to choose whether to work from home or, when the situation demands it, in the office. They also want their companies to invest more in technology and training to allow them to stay productive and engaged when working remotely. And they expect their organizations to adopt technology that will keep them safer and more secure at work.

While only 10% of those surveyed worked from home most of the time before the lockdown, an overwhelming majority now hope to keep this increased autonomy. Nearly nine in ten workers (88%) want greater ownership in defining how and when they use office space — favoring a hybrid blend of office-based and remote work. The challenge is to keep people connected, while driving new levels of innovation and collaboration.

There are three main areas where we expect to see lasting changes in how work gets done:

Enterprise-class
connectivity
Customers need a workforce that is protected anywhere, on any device, a digitized workplace where every element of the infrastructure is safe, and workloads and devices are secure, anywhere and anytime.

Enhanced collaboration
technologies
AI, environmental sensors, and advanced analytics will empower employees, keep teams connected and productive regardless of their location, and increase workplace safety and security.

Conscious company
culture
For these new ways of working to be sustainable over the long-term, a strong, flexible culture is critical. Technology enables greater connectivity across far distances,
but leaders need to create a culture that honors transparency, openness, and inclusion.

“The global pandemic has been a mega-catalyst for change. Almost overnight, organizations made the shift to virtual to support remote working (learning and more), and we don’t expect work to return to what we knew as normal pre-pandemic. The future of work is a hybrid, distributed environment where employees will move between the office, home and other secure locations. This will require a new set of digital capabilities that enables an engaged and productive workforce through the best collaboration experiences, as well as safer, intelligent workplaces built not only with secure collaboration, but automation, insights, and augmentation with artificial intelligence.”

Dave West, President, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China

Perspectives From Across APJC

“The survey confirms that the world is quickly transitioning to the hybrid work culture. A departure from the norm can be challenging, especially in India, where work culture is more traditional. Here, leaders can enable a smooth transformation by proactively addressing issues around data security, policies, and employee experience.”

Sameer Garde, President, Cisco India & SAARC

“COVID-19 completely changed our perspectives on how we work and collaborate. Business resilience and hybrid work are the current top of mind for business leaders around the world. Cisco is committed to developing flexible and responsive solutions to meet these social and corporate demands.”

Ichiro Nakagawa, President and General Manager, Cisco Japan

Perspectives From Across APJC

“The pandemic has made us rethink how we look at work, the tools we use to collaborate, how we communicate at work, and even the hours we work. We truly believe now is the time for remote work to become the norm not out of necessity but also out of choice and the companies who embrace it will lead the way in attracting the best talent.”

Naveen Menon, President, Cisco ASEAN

“In Greater China, digital economy is receiving unprecedented attention, creating enormous opportunities in terms of consumer market, working model transformations and investments. During the pandemic, home office and hybrid working styles enabled by technologies have added huge momentum to the economic recovery of Greater China. We are proud that our technology has created great user experience and customer value and brought people together in the midst of a global health emergency.”

Ming Wong, Vice President, CEO of Greater China, Cisco Systems, Inc.