When the pandemic hit early in 2020, many business owners didn’t understand the situation they were about to face. Many businesses didn’t have the technology in place to support remote work, and the ones that did likely had employees. Now, as restrictions ease, the big question is: What comes next? For many, the answer lies in adopting a sustainable hybrid work strategy
Work Strategies
A lot has been made about remote work. Business owners didn’t think it would work for them, then in a blink of an eye, they were forced to make it work for them, but the general consensus among business owners is that they would like to return to “normal” as soon as they can. “Normal” may not be possible, however. One study found that over 70% of workers who worked remotely during the pandemic are expecting more flexibility. Even if nearly half of those same workers are looking forward to getting back into their respective offices. This contradiction is driving the need for a flexible hybrid work strategy that balances expectations from both sides.
How Does This Make Sense?
Like many things that have happened during the global health crisis: it’s not supposed to. Basically, workers, like business owners, have mixed feelings about working remotely. At first, there was excitement, but as time went on, sitting for hours in video conferences, kids running around, and trying to ignore the giant pile of laundry just off the field of view of your webcam, took its toll. Many remote workers wouldn’t trade the setup completely, but they’re not doing as well as you’d expect.
One major issue is that a majority of polled business leaders say they are thriving right now while their subordinates are largely struggling. Many workers pride themselves on their ability to be productive regardless of the situation. But some of them are overburdened with the increased digital intensity of their jobs. If someone who works in an office is having troubles in their life, that have an effect on mental health, most of the time someone notices. Working from home, however, management tends to assume that everything is fine unless they hear otherwise. A well-planned hybrid work strategy can help reconnect leadership with their teams and prevent employee burnout.
While many decision makers are also working from home, they’re experiencing a very different reality. They’re earning more, building stronger relationships, and taking more vacation time. Meanwhile, production workers often feel overworked, underappreciated, and isolated. They’re left to manage on their own, despite working for organizations that claim to prioritize a team or “family” atmosphere.
Remote-Fueled Stagnation
Remote work doesn’t just negatively affect workers. It can negatively impact your business. When people are in one location there is a tendency for them to communicate better, more ideas to get thrown around, and decisions to be made with direct input from everyone. After a year or more of video conferencing, people just resign to completing the tasks on their schedule and have a tendency to dislike video conferencing more and more.
A strong hybrid work strategy can reintroduce collaboration while maintaining flexibility. Some more company-centric administrators may disagree, but anytime an organization is resigned to groupthink, that business is in trouble.
The Hybrid Office Experience
The fact is that businesses, especially smaller businesses that find themselves completely leveraged as restrictions phase out, are going to be looking for their people to be the most productive they can be, but they are also going to ask many of them to come back to the office.
The reality is that many businesses, especially the smaller ones that are financially stretched, need their teams to be as productive as possible. At the same time, they’re also planning to ask many employees to return to the office.
This is great, right? Not so fast.
How many days are you going to expect to have to go into the office? Well, it depends on who you ask. According to one study 68% of polled executives would like to see their staff at work at least three days a week. Workers, on the other hand, said that it should be a maximum of three, but less depending on an employee’s responsibilities.
22% of U.S. executives say bringing employees back is a priority, while fewer than 5% of leaders in Canada, Germany, Japan, and China agree. In fact, less than 5% of polled executives consider this a strategy.
One thing is certain about the hybrid work model: nothing is certain. Will it help or hurt company culture, productivity, retention rates, and other metrics that aren’t just numbers to a business? Would it be better to just choose one over the other? Nobody knows, because every business is different.
If you would like to talk these issues through to ensure that you have the technology and the IT support you need to make a hybrid work strategy the “new normal”, contact our expert team at Macatawa Technologies.
