Hybrid Work & Performance Issues

Sir Jim Radcliffe, Billionaire owner of Manchester United, recently cited the “work from home culture” of the club's administration as contributing to their teams woeful on field performance.

I disagree, but his comments are a great example of how when performance is not where it should be the first thing managers look to his where employees work and the quick fix of get back to the office.??

Manchester United are poor for many reasons but to blame it on Brenda from marketing working from home is clearly overly simplistic. Performance and productivity are complex issues of leadership and while employee location might be one element to put all your bets on that as fix is dangerous as the unintended consequence could be losing top talent and keeping low performers.

There is a survey to support every narrative, that is how the world works. If we deal in facts it is undeniably true that employees will resist attempts to reduce their ability to work remotely. ?

A recent global survey found most employees feel their productivity is unaffected or enhanced by working from home. However, employers feel the opposite.

We know employees like the convenience and time and money savings of working from home (in Australia a hybrid / remote employee saves an average of 49 minutes per day without their commute and save an average of $27 a day (lunch, coffee, myki)).

Employers dislike the lack of control, lack of visibility and the suspicion people are not working as hard as they could.

The last 4 years have been an employee market, in Australia, employees have been able to ask for, and usually get, very flexible work arrangements.

As we move to a tighter employment market employers are beginning to feel the weight is shifting back in their favour and can flex their muscles over where employees work. However, is this really wise?

The reality is moving back to an office-based culture will mean more turnover, and it probably won`t be the lower performers that leave.

Why?

From the HR Institute:

“According to US research the ability to work from home for 2-3 days per week moving forward is worth a 7 per cent pay increase for the average employee”.

Giving employees a choice as to how, where and when they’d like to work can increase their motivation levels. Conversely when you eliminate employees’ opportunities to choose when/if they engage in remote work, motivation levels plummet.

The Productivity Commission’s report echoes this, stating that this type of autonomy increases both productivity and job satisfaction. It must therefore be taken that if autonomy and choice are taken away people will choose to leave their employers.

According to a recent global survey around 40% of employees would look for a different job if their “current level of flexibility was taken away”.

The reality is the “higher performers” will be part of that 40% and find an employer that will offer them flexibility and improved conditions. The lower performers will also be part of that 40% but might not be so lucky as finding another role and will return disgruntled to the office.

The trick will then be how do you motivate and drive performance now you have the lower performers left in the business and sitting in the office looking at you for answers?

Of course the answer is complex and layered and not as simple as a bullet point or two. However here are some bullet points about how to lead improved performance:

Set Clear Expectations: "Setting clear objectives ensures everyone in the organization knows what they are supposed to be doing and how their work contributes to the organization's success." (Source: "The Importance of Setting Clear Objectives" by Greg Richards, Forbes)

Provide Constructive Feedback: "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." – Ken Blanchard (Source: "The One Minute Manager" by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson)

Encourage Skill Development: "In today's knowledge-based economy, continuous learning and skills development are critical for maintaining a competitive edge." (Source: "The Future of Work: Skills and Talent Development" by McKinsey & Company)

Empower and Delegate: "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things." – Ronald Reagan

Lead by Example: "Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." – Simon Sinek (Source: "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't" by Simon Sinek)