The hybrid workplace is popular but not without challenges

Post the Corona pandemic, we are in a paradigm shift. There has been a huge development in the labor market that employees, managers, and organizations are still adapting to. Many organizations have become more flexible over the past three years, initially out of necessity due to lockdowns, but now also because employees want to retain the flexibility that, for many, emerged during the pandemic.

In 2023, CFL (Center for Ledelse) published the report "Flexible working life - Preferences, needs, and effects of flexible working life," and the conclusion is clear: Flexibility in working life is crucial for choosing a workplace.

At first glance, a flexible workplace with a high degree of autonomy for the individual employee is a clear winner. However, the hybrid workplace also poses some fundamental challenges for organizations.

The culture and social community are under pressure

At Delegate, we are privileged to have a working life that allows for flexible working hours and location to a considerable extent. We call it #Workfromanywhere. I am, therefore, also a strong advocate of the hybrid workplace and its benefits, but I am by no means blind to the fact that it also comes with a price, and the CFL report also highlights some of the challenges that can come with the hybrid workplace:

More than half of managers believe it has become more challenging to create and maintain workplace culture, and almost as many find it harder to create closeness and connection within their teams. Employees who work from home experience many positive effects but are more likely to lack sufficient social contact with colleagues.

It's serious if we don't recognize these challenges. For me, one of the most meaningful things about going to work is being with my colleagues and customers. In my view, it's the interaction between people that creates energy and ideas for new projects, services, and initiatives in the organization and brings us closer together - something that I don't see happening in the same way when we only meet online. It's simply more challenging to maintain social relationships in an online environment.

At Delegate, we address these challenges by regularly organizing social and professional "physical" events to bring colleagues together and check in face-to-face. It takes extra effort to maintain social capital as hybrid work increases.

A hybrid workplace that is also attractive in the future

So, how do we ensure the flexibility that flourished during the pandemic while providing clear communication, social relationships, a sense of belonging to the organization, and a workplace where our employees can develop and feel enriched at the end of the day? That's what we need to discuss.

At Delegate, we have been good at embracing the flexible workplace and maintaining it after Corona. Still, as a business leader, I also find that management tasks have become more complex due to the flexible working life.

For example, how do I ensure that there is no difference between employees, no matter how much or how little they come into the office? How do I ensure that our customers continue to receive the best possible service so that they will continue to be our customers in the future? How do I ensure that flexibility goes both ways - i.e., that we as a workplace offer flexibility but that employees also give it back when we need to be together at work or with our customers? And how do I ensure that my organization is where employees want to work, even if they are "only" online?

These are challenges that we will have to work on in the years to come because the hybrid workplace is here to stay, and its value is undeniable.

Right now, I conclude that there will eventually need to be both days in the office and days where you can work from home. And that's exactly what the almost 1,000 respondents in the CFL survey said. I believe that a combination of working from home some days during the week and the remaining days in the office or at our customers' premises is the right formula.

What considerations do you make in your organization?