Employers seem excited about the emerging hybrid workplace as a way to check multiple boxes: please employees who want to work from home, but also allow for more in-office collaboration and flexibility. The question is, how can you help clients create the best possible hybrid work environment for their organization?
Nearly 83% of surveyed employees prefer a hybrid work environment, which includes working remotely at least 25% of the time. This can lead to happier employees — with much less time spent in the car or on public transportation traveling to and from work, they’re able to log on sooner and log off more flexibly. Employees whose organizations obtain tangible feedback on this topic now feel their voices are heard. Creating an environment where they can be vulnerable yet supported, share feedback and feel heard will only enhance positive culture outcomes.
For many of those who are accustomed to working from home, transitioning back to the office or even embracing hybrid work can pose challenges. For example, some employees moved to new locations during the pandemic, and if office or hybrid work became mandatory, they would be forced to either move back or look for new employment.
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And while the lack of commute has its benefits, the blurred lines between work and home can make it harder to quiet the mind at the end of the day, leading to mental health concerns around anxiety and stress. Add on personal or family difficulties that arise during the work day, chances are there will be more interruptions that erode productivity and facilitate burnout. Losing out on even the brief in-person interactions that help individuals collaborate with team members, clients or vendor partners doesn’t help.
In addition, crafting a hybrid model that works for all generations may be a challenge. Three in four Gen Z-ers (74%) responding to an Accenture survey said they want more opportunities to collaborate with colleagues face-to-face, a higher percentage than Gen X-ers (66%) and baby boomers (68%).
That’s forcing employers to think hard about how to take care of diverse teams, where each member may respond differently to times of change. (As a husband, father of two and working professional, I have found that compartmentalizing the roles of parent, spouse, sibling or even pet owner and splitting that attention is much easier said than done.)
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Whether employers have implemented a hybrid workplace or are planning to do so, we believe there are some key concepts that should be a top priority.
Seek feedback
Encouraging clients to give their employees a voice to share concerns and ideas creates more trust in your work environment. It’ll provide a chance to learn what key issues employees are facing without making judgments or assumptions on their behalf.
Embrace transparency
Sharing corporate transparency is yet another valuable technique to build trust and camaraderie — especially if there are focus groups or employee satisfaction surveys conducted.
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Reinforce culture
Rather than see a crisis for what it is, suggest to clients that they view it as an opportunity to reinvigorate their “why” as an organization, as well as share with employees the ultimate business goal and how it can benefit them along this journey.
Structure logistics
Whether it’s stipends, flexible schedules and safety protocols, clients need to be open and honest and ask for feedback on how to make this successful for everyone.
Providing behavioral support
Investments in resources like digital therapy, proactive meditation techniques or employee assistance programs that help people be their best selves will pay dividends for employees and employers alike.
Manage expectations
Advise clients to consider shying away from promising a “forever” solution, but be transparent in that, for example, “we are constantly assessing the needs of our team members as well as the organizational goals.”
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Employees not only want to feel heard and valued, they also want to know that they are part of a cause bigger than themselves — that their work is valuable to the organization. Many employers may adopt a hybrid work environment, and I believe we will be having this discussion with clients for years to come.
Is it possible to have a perfect hybrid work environment? Probably not, only because it is highly subjective. Every employer, employee and industry is different, and has different needs. But I do believe that creating an ideal work environment is possible as long as employers are willing to be flexible to the needs of their multigenerational workforce, often asking for feedback, re-invigorating culture and consistently assessing program success.
