Hybrid office here to stay?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/04/2021 (1977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As many readers are aware, there is a growing debate as to whether or not organizations will require their employees to return to the physical workplace versus allowing and encouraging remote work. Thankfully, there will be choices.

However, in my view, there have been two workplace phenomena that have been “hanging” around for a number of years that were suddenly propelled to the forefront by the pandemic and which play a role in any future decision-making. These actually acted as the lifesaver for many businesses and organizations in general. First and foremost was the ability of technology to allow visual communication from any location. I can’t tell you how many virtual meetings I have had over the past year.

Yet, I remember the resistance to this virtual strategy along with the resistance to distance learning when I was signing up for a long-distance PhD program. The pushback from educational institutions at the time declared that “face to face” was the only way to learn. Not being able to attend full time, I never did finish this long-desired degree. Today, distance learning (now called remote learning) is not only accepted at the university level, the pandemic has proven that it can work at all grade levels.

Secondly, is the issue of working from home. I clearly recall a time when special employee requests to work at home were frowned upon due to concerns over productivity. However, when a remote workforce was created almost overnight because of the pandemic and has lasted throughout the year, this concern has quickly become a moot point. In other words, employers learned that remote work does actually work although it is not without its challenges, especially in terms of teamwork and organizational culture.

So, where are we today as the pandemic hopefully slides into oblivion? As in any debate, there are always two sides to the issue. On one side, there’s a recently released survey that suggests one in three workers is threatening to quit if they are required to return to their physical workspace. Still another more international study supported this trend as it showed that over 80 per cent of employees regardless of industry did not want to return to their office full time.

The other side of the debate includes leader concerns over the potential lack of “connectedness” and the impact on corporate culture. For instance, a Gallup research survey identified that remote employees don’t get strong connection to the mission of their organization when working remotely. Their rationale for this was that virtual meetings are considered more “transactional” and that this is substantially different than being in a meeting room with colleagues. Another study confirmed that social connectivity was indeed important to productivity and collaboration and that a strong human connection is required for success.

Going forward and rethinking the issue of remote working versus return to the physical workplace, it is suggested that finding ways to ensure social connectivity will be key to success. Thus, we are starting to see the rise of so-called, “hybrid” work structures which are being considered the best of both on-site and remote work. However, this requires significant planning with respect to how teams work in an organization. Whereas there is no “one size fits all” approach to developing a hybrid model, the following suggestions will help you to create the best workplace for all your employees.

● Engage your employees — knowing there are a variety of employee opinions regarding returning to the physical workspace, it is wise to engage employees in a conversation as to what might work best. Some individuals have issues with travelling on public transport and others have child-care issues, while some don’t feel as productive and are lonely while working in a remote environment. Conduct an employee survey about employee needs and what structure might work from their point of view. Take those ideas and integrate them into your planning.

● Confirm roles and responsibilities — take an inventory of the various jobs in your organization and confirm their roles, responsibilities and need for connectivity to colleagues as well as customers. Identify the most suitable work model for each job. For some, this may mean full remote is a possibility while other roles may require a mix and/or the 100 per cent physical work location. Also take into consideration the personality of individuals and how well they would adapt to your proposed work model.

● Think through workspace redesign — implementing a hybrid model may create an opportunity to redesign your physical space. Instead of separate offices, you might consider collaborative workstations where employees could schedule alternative times to come to the physical office. Ensure there are sufficient conference rooms and technology to continue supporting the ongoing virtual meeting requirements.

● Focus on culture building — since social connectivity and organization culture are sincere concerns with respect to remote working, extra effort must be made to create communication opportunities for employees. This doesn’t just mean weekly virtual work-related meetings but rather communication opportunities where you can build relationships. This includes a wide range of activities, such as collaborating on special projects, to fun team-building activities that try to replace those simple chats around the water cooler.

● Readjust your HR policies — while most practices over the past year have been of necessity and required temporary changes in human resource policies, moving forward, the situation will require a more serious review of policies and an adaptation to the new way of working. Be sure to include items related to safe work, refusal to work, accommodation, and communicable disease protocols, among others.

● Train management — moving to a hybrid model requires different leadership skills and a “shedding of the old skin,” so to speak. Hold frequent management meetings to discuss culture, communication, connectivity and employee performance. Discuss and train for how to motivate employees in different work situations and how to foster collaboration. Help managers focus on being open-minded to the new ways of doing things as work environments will continue to change.

● Keep track — hybrid workplaces will require more diligence in terms of tracking success, both technically as well as being fully aware of the emotional and mental well-being of employees. This needs to occur both through data analytics as well as personal contact. When something is amiss, be sure to act quickly.

Let’s face it, change is the name of the game in our work world and so I suggest that hybrid workplaces are here to stay.

Sources: If you force me back to the office, I’ll quit, Emily Douglas, Human Resource Director, April 7, 2021; The office is not dead; Here’s why, Workplace Evolution, Fast Company, Feb. 19, 2021; Your employees don’t want to return to the office, now what?, Forbes Technology Council, Nov. 18, 2020; Do workers need to return to the office after the coronavirus threat subsides? SHRM, Nov. 30, 2020.

Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, CCP, M.Ed. is the HR practice leader with Legacy Bowes and is the author of eight books, a radio personality, a speaker, an executive coach and workshop leader. She is also chairwoman of the Manitoba Status of Women. She can be reached at barb@legacybowes.com