It looks like hybrid working is here to stay. But how is it working out for you? I’ve recently read reports of people feeling pretty isolated in the office. That, despite being mandated to spend a portion of their week in the office, they’re either the only ones there or they’re spending most of their day on Zoom/MS Teams/ Slack etc which of course they could’ve done from home minus the commute. Most of us think hybrid, or flexible working as I like to call it, is a great idea, but to get it right takes practice.
Microsoft’s Work Trend Index is a great place to start when trying to understand the needs and wants from employees. And while it is stating the obvious, it’s clear that we have changed, organisations have changed, and what happens next needs to be different if we are to make hybrid work. The report sets out some key trends which will underpin the success of hybrid, some of which were even more obvious than my statement above, but there are a couple I’d like to draw your attention to:
- We need to make the office worth the commute.
The pandemic has proven that there are many jobs that can be done from just about anywhere, WiFi permitting, so exactly what role does the office play? This is a critical question and one that I see many organisations struggling to answer. More than a third (38%) of hybrid employees say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office. Yet few companies (just 28%) have established team agreements to clearly define the new norms. This is an opportunity to re-imagine the role of the office and intentionally design the ‘ideal office experience’. I would advocate using design-thinking to figure out the best approach for your people, and the work they do. Experiment with different ways of working and iterate until you find ways that work for your teams you’re your people.
Of course this isn’t just about providing a clear ‘why’ for being in the office, it’s also about ensuring time spent there is worthwhile and engaging. The research from Microsoft shows that 44% of hybrid employees and 43% of remote attendees don’t feel included in meetings, and just 27% of organizations have established new hybrid meeting etiquette to ensure everyone feels included and engaged. To ensure that commute into the office is worth it, we need to help people understand why they need to be there and ensure it is a great experience once they’re there.
- Rebuilding social capital looks different in a hybrid world.
There are so many upsides to hybrid working if we can get it right, but something I have personally struggled with is the inevitable impact on our relationships. The Microsoft data shows that while 58% of hybrid employees have been able to maintain thriving relationships with their direct teams over the past year, only half of those who are fully remote can say the same, and even fewer (42%) have a strong relationship with those outside of their immediate team. And newly onboarded employees will need more support; they have weaker workplace relationships, and 56% say they’re likely to consider changing jobs in the year ahead.
Building social capital is more challenging when we are working remotely. And while there’s no doubt that time spent in-person with others will go a long way (either at the office or elsewhere), we need to think more creatively about how to build social capital in a hybrid world. How can we make space and time, and encourage colleagues to get together, to network, to connect? This is I believe one of the biggest challenges to making hybrid work and I would welcome your ideas and thoughts on this. And this isn’t just a nice to have, we know from our own research that connection at work is critical to a good experience and overall engagement. And the research from Microsoft shows that those who have strong connections at work have higher levels of wellbeing, are reported to be more productive, and are more likely to stay.
We have a once in a generation opportunity to improve the way we experience work, but we must be intentional about it. We must take time to understand what will work for our organisations, our people and the work we do. And we need to be brave, take risks, and learn along the way.
I’d love to hear what you are doing to make hybrid work. And don’t forget, we’re running our popular ‘Hybrid by Design’ workshop in May to help you figure out the answers and what comes next.
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