Workplace Experience Management | Ricoh USA Inc.
                     Success in the hybrid workplace
Using people-first strategies 
to drive business growth
The modern workplace. 
Not just one place...any place.
The landscape of the modern workplace has undergone a 
significant transformation with the rise of the hybrid workforce. 
As businesses adapt to this new paradigm — operationally and 
culturally — they’re navigating a range of complexities, while 
simultaneously seeking to capitalize on the potential advantages 
it offers. In this eBook, we explore how business leaders are 
putting their people first to drive enhanced collaboration, 
culture, performance, security, compliance, and sustainable 
business practices.
We know that hybrid work is here to stay.  We also know that 
managing that workforce effectively is critical to success. 
According to Gartner, human-centric design is “a model that puts 
people at the center of work.”1 Their research has shown that 
organizations with a human-centric model in place are nearly 4 
times more likely to see high employee performance.”
4x higher employeeperformance
1Gartner. Human-centric Hybrid Work Design. November 2022.
The challenges mount.
As if C-suite leaders didn’t have enough to occupy 
their days with an uncertain economy, lingering supply 
chain issues, catastrophic weather events, geopolitical 
unrest, and new competitors entering the marketplace on 50% 
a weekly basis, they are now contending with an entirely Portion of the workforce 
new kind of workforce characterized by: “quiet quitting”
•     Quiet quitting, a portion of the workforce which   
       Gallup estimates to be at least 50%2 
•      A rise in the impact of sustainable business 
        practices — workers feel strongly about a company’s 70% 
        mission and values, with 70% of workers prepared Portion of the workforce 
        to leave if their company had an unfair gender pay prepared to leave if company 
        gap and 68% saying the same about a lack of a had unfair gender pay gap
        diversity and inclusion policy3 
•      The rise of the “side hustle,”4 a workplace trend in 
        which more than half of Gen Zers, half of Millennials, 
        and 40% of Gen Xers are currently engaged 50% 
•      Historically low unemployment rates
Portion of GenZ workforce 
engaged in “side hustle”
2Gallup. Is quiet quitting real?  September 2022.
3ADP Research Institute. People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View. April 2022.
4Bankrate. Survey: 39% have a side hustle, and 44% believe they’ll always need one. March 2023.
The response? A people first workplace.
Forward-thinking leaders are taking a people-first, human-centric approach 
to managing their hybrid employees. How? By creating and reinforcing a 
culture built upon flexibility, collaboration and empathetic leadership; one 
that prioritizes a balanced working/personal life for each employee.
They understand that maintaining employee connections and creating a 
sense of inclusivity, collaboration, and teamwork are critical, whether it’s 
peer-to-peer, manager-to-peer, manager-to-manager, or in group dynamics. 
First and foremost, however, they understand that a people-first model 
requires commitment; to empowerment, training, technologies and 
tools. A higher-level commitment -- and one just as critical-- is the 
one to culture, one that encompasses and fosters the principles CSR, 
ESG and DEIB. These principles demonstrate their organization’s 
mission to making people and planet a priority, and are now 
more critical than ever.
workers prepared to 
68% leave if their company lacked a diversity and inclusion policy
Now, let’s explore how a people-centric model drives satisfaction, 
performance and revenue, backed by findings from Ricoh’s 
2023 Global Customer Discovery Report.
 1  |  Communication and collaboration
One of the foremost challenges faced by employers with a hybrid 
workforce is effective communication and collaboration. In fact, 
in Foundry’s 2022 study, more than half of employees surveyed 50% 
cited effective collaboration as a major challenge.  With teams cite effective collaboration 
dispersed across various locations, ensuring seamless information as a major challenge5
exchange becomes more complex. Moreover, striking a balance 
between in-person and virtual meetings becomes crucial to 
maintaining team cohesion and engagement.
>> Actions to take: Invest in robust tools and technologies that 
will bridge the physical divide between associates and foster a 
culture of collaboration. Managed IT services can bring hybrid 
team members together through a secured cloud workspace. 
Other factors to consider? How well your collaboration tools — 
such as your white board technology and project management 
software — integrate with other; the degree to which those tools 
mimic in-person meetings; intuitiveness and accessibility 
considerations; and, finally, information management capabilities 
that can help you optimize your organization’s data over the 
short and long term. 
5Foundry Future of Work Study 2022. June 23, 2022.
2  |  Building engagement and sustaining culture
Great cultures leverage their organization’s unique mission, purpose, and values; all of which contribute to strengthening 
their identity, inspiring their employees, and delivering on their brand promise to customers. A great culture is, indeed, 
what sets an organization apart from its competitors. But, without adequate support, resources, and opportunities for 
professional growth, remote employees face feelings of isolation, reduced work-life boundaries, and distractions. They 
may also feel disconnected from the company’s values and mission.
“ A sense of belonging and inclusion must be a focus for employers. It ensures that all 
employees, regardless of their background 
and experiences, can be connected with
 equal opportunity and create a healthier, 
more successful future together.6 “
>> Actions to take: Make certain that diversity and inclusion are key 
components of your recruiting practices. Create inclusive spaces, 
both physical and virtual, that encourage employees to connect with 
each other…casually. And take advantage of opportunities  such as 
virtual teambuilding activities, regular feedback and check-ins, 
recognition programs, and a transparent performance management 
system; all of which will foster a sense of purpose and belonging.
6 Fortune. The key to hybrid work productivity? Getting the ROI of your commute right. February 8, 2023.
3  |  Increased productivity and performance
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of Canadian employers say they’re 
using a hybrid working model, according to a new survey by 
51%  agreed that Colliers Canada.7 62% it increases motivation
62% number of Canadian companies agreed that adopting a hybrid work model7 working 
from home believe that 
While matching workers with tasks might seem a simple improves it increases 
task, it isn’t. Without proper guidance in this area, middle employee 76% productivity•
managers will often shoehorn traditional office-centric concentration
methods of working into hybrid settings. Leaders must *From a University of Birmingham study of 600 managers
recognize and address the reality that misaligning remote 
workers with activities can result in lower productivity, >> Actions to take: How are successful hybrid workforce-
engagement, and morale, which hurts the company’s bottom driven organizations achieving their employee performance 
line, as well as the employee’s well-being and career success. goals? With automation in the form of digital inbound and 
outbound mail tools, project management software that 
76% reduces meeting times and email chains, and workflow tools of managers believe that flexible that make work more collaborative, more efficient, and more working increases productivity satisfying. According to our Customer Discovery survey, 
other productivity-increasing enhancements could include 
So, given the obstacles, can workers truly be more a reimagined office space — one created with employee 
productive when working from a location of their choosing? input — that offers, for example, more breakout areas, hot 
Studies have shown that working in an environment that desking, and a recreational or game area. Respondents 
suits individual preferences, reduces commute time, and also spoke about the benefits of automating mundane, 
presents fewer distractions can enhance a worker’s focus error-prone tasks, which freed up employee time, increasing 
and efficiency; and with them, productivity. both performance and satisfaction.8
7 BenefitsCanada.com. 62% of Canadian employers using hybrid working model: survey. January 30, 2023.
8Ricoh Customer Discovery Report 2023
 4  |  Cybersecurity and data protection
Unsecure home and remote networks are considered by most organizations to be their top security risk, largely due to an
 inability to extend corporate security to virtual officing environments. 
 “      62% of organizations offering remote work suffered a data breach that could have been prevented  if the        employees had been coming into the office.       “  – Foundry Future of Work Study 
With employees working from different locations and home networks now being one of the most critical parts of the enterprise 
network, cybersecurity and data protection are critically important. From identity verification and access to device management, 
print security and more, organizations need tools and infrastructure in place that support virtual, home environments with the 
same redundancy as brick-and-mortar office spaces. 
>> Actions to take: Robust security measures must be implemented to safeguard sensitive information, and policies
communicated to remote workers to ensure adherence to security protocols. While most security experts agree there is no 
single solution that provides ironclad protection against cyberattacks and data breaches,  they also agree that securing data 
begins with a multi-layered security strategy that includes:
•     Adherence to an established information governance framework 
•      End-to-end protection that includes endpoint, network, application and data security based on zero-trust authentication
•     Educated, empowered employees
•     Expert management
To maintain an engaged, productive workforce, leaders must provide hybrid employees with a seamless, secure work experience, 
as well as the training essential to data protection. Additionally, as cyberthreats become increasingly sophisticated and costly – 
in terms of both financial and reputational damage – cybersecurity also takes on an even greater importance in building trusted 
business-to-business relationships. With data as an organization’s most valuable asset, companies cannot afford – quite literally –
 to work in partnership with an organization that does not have robust cybersecurity measures in place.
5 .5  C | o Cmompplilaiannce
Compliance is a challenge even in the best of circumstances. A hybrid workforce can add an entirely 
new layer of regulatory and legal hoops an organization must jump through as companies put processes in 
place to address various legal and regulatory issues associated with employees working remotely. In fact, a 
recent survey by Deloitte reflects the fact that “regulatory issues are often cited among the top three challenges 
employers face when implementing remote or hybrid work strategies.”9 
For starters, a chief consideration, among many, is how to maintain a culture of compliance across a borderless 
workplace when, historically, this has been done with employees working together, side by side. Then, 
organizations must consider the numerous types of remote work, with each type potentially involving 
its own regulatory considerations. Each workplace location, for example, may trigger a new license, 
registration, or other requirement; all of which may vary from state to state. Such variations include, 
but are not limited to, pay range disclosures, and whistleblowing protections. 
>> Actions to take: As employers build workforces of the future — while continuing to permit employees 
to expand their workplace footprint into new jurisdictions — it is important for leaders to cultivate a 
compliance mindset that lives across the entire organization. They must understand and plan for the various 
issues a hybrid workforce may trigger.
Information governance becomes an even more critical area of focus as organizations employ a people-centric 
hybrid model. In order to ensure that data is efficiently and securely gathered, stored, accessed and shared, 
cloud-based solutions must be employed and an Information Governance strategy put in place that focuses on 
these key areas:  Records & Information Management (RIM), Electronic Content Governance (ECM), Legal Hold, 
and Operational Awareness. Only then can your organization make effective use of its data, which is crucial to 
operational efficiency and profitability.
9Deloitte. Global Remote Work Survey. 2022.
6  |  Sustainable business practices
Another shift associated with hybrid work is the growing importance of sustainable business practices. 
“Although environmental impact has been a focus area for many years, there is a rise in activity around diversity and inclusion, with organizations looking to see how they can improve digital accessibility and enhance the diversity of thought and culture.10 “
Business frameworks such as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and DEIB (Diversity, 
Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) are becoming increasingly important across the entire commerce ecosystem as shareholders, 
investors, clients, customers, and workers demand greater accountability from companies and organizations. Those demands include, 
but are not limited to:
• Employee well-being: Offering employees the opportunity to avoid commutes and work in a location of their choosing can lead to reduced 
stress levels and improved work-life balance. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in job satisfaction, productivity, and retention.
• Environment: By adopting sustainable practices, such as eliminating the need for daily commuting, a hybrid employee is contributing to a 
reduced environmental footprint. An employer may contribute to reducing the carbon footprint created by its office space. 
• Cost savings: Remote work reduces expenses. For the employee, the costs associated with travel to an office, and, for the employer, the 
costs associated with maintaining office space.
• Social responsibility: By integrating ESG and DEIB frameworks and initiatives into the corporate culture, an organization demonstrates its 
commitment to social causes, which then fosters a positive company image, strengthens relationships with stakeholders and shareholders, 
and attracts socially conscious employees and customers.
• Global talent pool: Sustainable practices in a hybrid workforce create opportunities to tap into a global talent pool. According to an ICIMS 
study, 1 in 4 respondents reported they would turn down a job offer if the company did not support climate action, while 66% noted that a 
company’s mission and core values must align with their own when applying for a job.11
>> Actions to take: Sustainable practices give meaning to work and build a positive perception in the marketplace. In recent years, 
sustainability has become an essential component of doing business, from attracting top talent to attracting new customers. Beyond 
benefiting the planet and society, sustainability measures correlate with financial performance, according to a Bain & Company study. 
“We found connections between sustainability and business results in the areas of sustainable supply chain, renewable energy, employee satisfaction, and DEIB. In addition to benefiting the planet and society, ESG activities are associated with 
encouraging revenue growth and EBITDA margins.12
10Ricoh Customer Discovery Report 2023. “
11ICIMS. 3 sustainability initiatives to help attract and retain talent. April 22, 2022.
12Bain & Company. Do ESG efforts create value? April 17, 2023.
How can leaders optimize operations for long-term results?
Implementing processes and practices around collaboration, engagement, productivity, sustainability, and compliance 
for a hybrid workforce is no simple task. It requires aligning workers not only with tasks, but with each other; not only 
through technologies, but through an engaging and inclusive culture. Doing all this successfully may require a C-suite 
mindset shift. After all, yesterday’s workplace is gone forever, and today’s is still taking shape. One thing is certain, 
however. Your organization’s success hinges on your ability to manage a hybrid workforce, challenge your own 
expectations and assumptions, and keep evolving your business … so you’re prepared for whatever the future holds.
Strategic investment in 
your people — and the 
right technology, tools 
and processes to support 
them — is key to 
optimizing your operations 
for long-term success. 
In addition, choosing 
partners who can advise 
and support you on the 
journey will accelerate 
your speed to results.
Your partner in building connections
Ricoh works with organizations of all sizes and across industries to drive modernizations and efficiencies that support 
collaboration, teamwork, technology integration, and results-based process improvement.
Our people are customer obsessed, and we thrive on making meaningful connections among data, systems, and people, 
and partnering with our clients to uncover and make strategic use of their information.
Our agnostic approach means we don’t favour one technology, solution, or team for service delivery. Instead, we take a 
human-centered, custom approach to bring the best people, technologies, and partners together to solve our clients’ 
challenges. If you’d like more information or to explore solutions for your business, we’re ready to talk.
About Ricoh
At Ricoh, we are unlocking the power of our customers’ information, processes, and abilities so they can respond to 
change and provide the best possible experiences for their employees and customers. By unleashing the full power 
of trapped information, organizations can unlock the full potential of their people, respond to change with actionable 
insights, and create more meaningful human experiences. 
For further information, please visit www.ricoh-usa.com
 
Ricoh Canada, Inc. 100-5560 Explorer Drive, Mississauga ON L4W 5M3, 1-888-742-6417 CS-229-RIC
©2023 Ricoh Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Ricoh® and the Ricoh logo are registered trademarks of Company, Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The content of 
this document, and the appearance, features and specifications of Ricoh products and services are subject to change from time to time without notice. Products are shown with optional features. 
While care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this information, Ricoh makes no representation or warranties about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained 
herein, and shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in these materials. Actual results will vary depending upon use of the products and services, and the conditions and factors affecting 
performance. The only warranties for Ricoh products and services are as set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying them.