Hybrid Working – The Facts
To call this a “hot topic” is a considerable understatement. When the pandemic forced the majority of people across the world to work outside the office, the hybrid work movement began. And with much of the world now looking at future work models post Covid, it is clear that hybrid working is here to stay.
77% of workers want more flexibility in how & where they work The Adecco Group
65% of workers believe their productivity has increased since working remotely Zapier, 2020
Based on the deluge of data, there are many opinions which keep changing, however, one thing is certain – every organisation needs a plan which includes a hybrid working model. The foundation of any plan will be unique to every business but there are some key takeaways which keep rising to the top of the discussion, all of which are interlinked and need to be addressed:
- Operational change
- Health and wellbeing
- Technology and infrastructure
Operational Change
From the start of the pandemic until now, the feedback has been consistent through every poll and survey: most of us feel we do not need to be in the office all the time. And whilst percentages of who thinks what continue to change, the overall message is that we are witnessing an irreversible shift toward hybrid working.
YouGov’s latest opinion poll on from working from home presents a very clear message:
“Prior to COVID, 68% of British employees had never worked from home. Now amongst those, 91% say that they want to continue at least part of the time and three-quarters of staff currently working from home think it is likely that post-COVID, their employer will continue to let them do so”.
Health and Wellbeing
Research has shown that there are key health and wellbeing disparities between different groups of people who made the move to home working as a result of Covid-19. We will look at this in more detail later as the pandemic has had a major impact on mental health.
Remote working is having an impact on people’s mental health, with 67% saying they felt less connected to their colleagues and 56% saying they found it harder to switch off. Royal Society for Public Health
Technology and Infrastructure
The office, home, or elsewhere is now part of a network of places where we do business. Inside these networks, location matters less and less: connectivity is king.
Cross business collaboration and social connections with colleagues and others outside your organisation leads to cross-fertilisation of ideas, with resulting innovation Insight
65% of organisations view shifting functional hierarchies to team-centric & network-based work models as important or very important Deloitte
To borrow a marketing adage, no matter where you are operating from, the ability to talk to the right people, at the right time, through using the right technology will “future-proof” your business – ultimately saving time and money whilst supporting employees.
Never before have we had such an opportunity to embrace change in the workplace. Use technology to bridge the geographical divide and create a flexible workplace framework which will ensure organisations are ready for whatever the future holds.