Hybrid work is a dream for many companies and employees. In this setup that promotes work-life balance, workers have more time freedom without compromising their productivity while on the job. It allows them to work from home or while traveling. 

Previously, we here at PVP Live reported that Cisco, together with Microsoft, is participating in the InfoComm 2023 event to talk about advancing the hybrid workplace. But Cisco is doing more than just that. They are launching more initiatives to promote the hybrid work setup. Here’s the news.

In partnership with the government

Under a program called “Digital Nomads,” or “Cisco Island” as the workers name it, 17 Cisco workers from all over Europe moved to and are staying on the beautiful island of Rhodes in Greece to experience what the place has to offer without leaving their work commitments for the company. 

“It’s not like being a tourist,” Federica Tommasi, a Cisco employee primarily based in Milan and the executive communications manager for Southern Europe, said. “I walk home from my office along the sea, and through the universe called the city of Rhodes. We’re surrounded by nature, but we also get to mix with the local people, who are very kind and open. And really learn about the culture.”

The beautiful island of Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in Greece and is known for its magnificent beach resorts, ancient ruins, and medieval Old Town, among many others. It creates the perfect backdrop for these Cisco workers who want to achieve a work-life balance. 

Cisco implements the Digital Nomads program in partnership with the local Rhodes government. Like Cisco’s other initiatives in places like Venice, the program aims to demonstrate the powerful potential of hybrid work to bolster local economies and pool top talent. 

George Chatzimarkos, the governor of Greece’s South Aegean Islands region, said, “I am very much in favor of the digital nomads.”

In this program, while the digital nomads experience the island, they also contribute to the local economy in various ways. 

“There’s a powerful saying, ‘beauty connects people,’” Agostino Santoni, one of the program’s proponents and Cisco South Europe’s vice president, said. “I believe it’s true in this case. It’s the beauty of the nature, the beauty of the light. But it’s also how the island connects our people with the people, workers, and government on Rhodes. We are creating something there that is unique.”

Live, work, play

In the program, Cisco is providing the technologies for hybrid work experiences. These innovations include collaboration hardware and software in the apartments of the Cisco workers, and in various workspaces across government offices and museums.

At the same time, the Cisco workers also contribute to the local community by participating in volunteer activities, such as planting trees, sharing food with low-income families, and teaching tech skills to orphans in the area. 

Governor Chatzimarkos said this movement would be massive in the following years, adding they want to show the world that Greece is not just a place for vacation but a place to work, develop, create, and live.