As many people are aware, hybrid working seems to be one of the most prominent aftereffects of COVID-19 on the white-collar work force.
As most of Australia were rushed into work from home set ups, the reality that employees could be as productive (if not more) from home quickly de-stigmatised age-old views that flexible work wasn’t for everybody.
Many individuals and businesses alike were able to reflect on whether working from home worked for them. The conclusion was that whilst some people preferred to work remotely, there were others who would prefer to return to the office, and alternatively, many would opt to do both. Thus, hybrid working was born.
A person’s primary place of work, whether office, home or otherwise, showed no impact on engagement levels. Interestingly two-thirds of people believe they have experienced an improved sense of work life balance as a direct impact of COVID-19. In highlighting the best thing about the past 12 months employees nominated greater autonomy and improved flexibility as valuable to them. – The New Era of Employee Engagement, Rise of the Hybrid Workforce (2021) – Chandler Macleod Group
Hybrid working may look different for each individual as we begin to return to the office, and much like the very concept of flexible working, it will be an adaptable and personal journey for employees. Managers will have to work closely with employees to organise the most suitable way of working that best suits the employee’s work style as well as their team and clients.
As many Australians move out of lock-downs and into hybrid work schedules, one thing is certain; A new way of workforce leadership is needed to ensure employees remain engaged, satisfied, and productive in their new situations.
In Chandler Macleod’s report, The New Era of Employee Engagement, Rise of the Hybrid Workforce (2021) several topics are explored around how to understand the attitudes of employees around this change of circumstance and how businesses can adapt, and switch focus to remain successful.
Engagement drivers and what leadership can do
The report identifies several ‘engagement drivers’ and which of these drivers needs improvement post COVID-19. One of the most significant findings was that leadership was essential in driving engagement, specifically, authenticity, understanding and clear communication was desired most from employees. This can be an especially helpful insight to those adopting hybrid working models to ensure that employees are genuinely cared for, heard, and communicated to about any new processes. This includes being proactive in seeking input from employees about potential changes to gauge what your people truly want and need.
Additionally, the report showed many employees had an increase in work demands during this time. In the long run, increased workloads without support would be unsustainable and lead to burnout. This means that businesses need to ensure they have strong support systems and resources in place. Ongoing reviews of existing policies and guidelines is something that is recommended, specifically related to work and role responsibilities, as well as hybrid and remote on-boarding processes.
Other implementations to consider during the move into hybrid working would be:
- A strong IT support team and home setup process
- Work time flexibility
- Workload balance
- Clear and easy to access job or project briefs
- Openness to new employees when teams are stretched thin
In addition to the challenge of extra work whilst working remotely, many people reported missing their colleagues and face-to-face interaction. This indicates just how important it is to create balance for those people who miss the office environment but also feel the benefits of working from home such as work life integration.
To journey more in depth about employee engagement in this new era of working, you can download the full report here…
