Technology as an enabler
Technology has been a crucial enabler for homeworking, proving businesses can operate successfully with their employees at home, but as some colleagues hasten back to offices and others remain glued to kitchen counters, cross-collaboration can become tricky.
Hybrid headaches
• Physical/digital meeting calibration: We haven’t yet found the perfect hybrid model – meetings are taking longer as the physical participants get connected to the digital attendees. Similarly, employees are travelling into the office to wear a headset all day, reducing their ability to connect with colleagues in the office.
• Proximity bias and room bias: The human brain is programmed to focus on that which is in front of it, leading to a proximity bias in meetings e.g., “out of sight, out of mind”.
• The Tuesday-Thursday conundrum: Workers are generally choosing to work from home on Mondays and Fridays, causing offices to be overcrowded mid-week and empty either side.
• Leading in the digital space: Managers and leaders are still struggling to “lead” in the hybrid workspace, finding it harder to motivate and engage across virtual channels.
Diversity and inclusion
Despite the drawbacks, hybrid working has supported the acceleration of inclusivity in the workplace.
Hybrid hype
• Level playing field: Some people with disabilities previously found their disability put them at a disadvantage in a physical space, but that digital workspaces offered more even ground.
• Decline of presenteeism: The ability to work from anywhere at any time supports employees with families or other non-typical work situations to be present digitally rather than physically, supporting inclusion.
• Digital places: Acceleration of connectivity has led to acceleration of collaboration across the previously unconnected. New equipment, processes and approaches have been invested in to bring together more colleagues than ever before.
• Attracting and retaining talent: Employees, particularly Gen Z, value operating in more autonomous, flexible environments. Having the ability to flex is a key driver for many when exploring career options.
Connecting people and workplaces
In response to the changing notion of “work as a place” to “work as a concept”, businesses are striving to create the perfect working environments that deliver tangible business outcomes, like improved employee satisfaction, retention and increased productivity.
The perfect hybrid model will differ across all businesses, but all will rely on the same keys to success: ensuring off-site workers are always empowered, and that those in the office have equally flexible, forward-thinking solutions.
