Flexibility, trust and the next normal

For many of us during this pandemic, work has become a place in our heads. The location can be wherever we put that head, provided there is a WiFi connection. High numbers are now saying they don't want to go back to an office full time, and prefer to opt for hybrid working, that is part-time office based.

Central to this transition for both employers and employees are two core components: flexibility and trust. My observation is that not everyone is on the same page around this. Flexibility for individuals usually means better work/life balance. Some organisations have put the memo out as we know, but for many businesses, flexibility means "disposability" and/or availability. Spot the difference?

Have you ever heard anyone complain that they weren't available or disposable enough for their employer?

I didn't think so. And therein lies a conundrum.

Hybrid working

Research from Salesforce suggests that long-term, 64% of workers want to spend "at least some hours at an office, store, factory, or another type of workplace, as opposed to working entirely remotely."

Research from me, is that most people can't wait to get back to some sort of physical work space, just maybe not full time. Many want to get out of their homes ASAP, to avoid "co-working," pandemic-speak for people hanging out of windows on Zoom calls competing for limited broadband. They are done with working on a kitchen table with an assorted group of family members, but are willing to tolerate it twice a week for flexibility.

The office, at least until the pandemic is brought under control, will no longer be a workplace, but a meeting place. In a European survey carried out by Littler, nearly 70% of European employers indicated they plan to continue remote work for employees unless their jobs require their physical presence in workplace. The given reasons are:

• greater productivity (41%)
• cost of implementing new safety measures (38%)
• to facilitate office closures (25%)

There is nothing in there about work-life balance.

Many organisations may not want to, or can't afford to invest, in a central working space for their employees to hang out and have meet-cute bonding moments. I spoke to one senior leader whose company has already scaled-back and adapted their office space to support hybrid working, with a system of hot-desking. It puts a whole new spin on track and trace. To meet her team, she has to physically locate them via text, as assigned seating areas in the building are now a thing of a PC (Pre-Covid) past.

Companies which continue to demonstrate trust and allow remote or hybrid working, will become employers of choice. Organisations which don't trust their employees and go back to the old way of working will potentially suffer. If flexibility means "disposability," those businesses will struggle. If organisations go one step further and install monitoring software for remote workers, or ask employees to sit all day with their web cams on, I suspect Glassdoor will implode, with a subsequent negative impact on employer brand.

They will learn that there is a strong connection between "disposability," and how that impacts "desirability" and "hireability."

Work from Office #WFO

In this new workforce classification: full-time remote, digital nomad and hybrid, there is a last, almost forgotten demographic. These are the people who fall into the category of "just kill me now" if they can't go back permanently to a physical place of work. It might be the lure of the commuter crush, or a fantasy of a post-COVID perspex pod, but there is a significant group who can't wait to #WFO.

The stats vary on this, but they range from 12% - 30% depending on geography.

This group may not have suitable accommodation, broadband or other logistical challenges. They may be escaping an abusive relationship, or feel isolated and crave human interaction in a place different to their home. They may simply want in-person guidance or discussion. We have a whole cohort of employees who have been hired and onboarded remotely and have never personally met their co-workers or boss.

Mental health

I spoke to a Paris based contact whose apartment is the size of a real "chambre de bonne" (maid's room) and not the palatial Netflix, "Emily in Paris" version. With the Parisien curfew currently set at 6.00 pm - going to work is almost a form of therapy for this young woman. She said she would be willing to wear a hazmat suit, if it meant she could sit at a desk owned by anyone except her.

The World Health Organisation recognises the need for increased vigilance around mental heath issues for the high levels of people impacted by this pandemic. 70% of U.S. employees cite this period as the most stressful in their careers. This can be around the lack of social interaction, fear of getting the virus, stress of financial issues, being unemployed or sick and so much more.

Employers are under huge pressure to provide wellness programmes. A recent report from Mercer says that while 48% of executives rank employees’ wellbeing as a major workplace challenge, only 29% of HR leaders actually have a health and wellbeing strategy.

Better normal

At the moment we don't have substantial data yet on how this is all working out in terms of employee experience, engagement, retention and productivity. The different outcomes are going to have a huge impact on the way we work, look for jobs and lead and manage people in the near future.

Much of this will be a question of trial and error, with hopefully less emphasis on the error.

What would you add? How are you facing a second potential year of pandemic conditions? Comments below!

Footnote: If your organisation wants to strengthen its talent pipeline to create gender balanced, diverse and inclusive workplaces reach out for more information [email protected]