Poll results confirm how much you value hybrid workplace models

Thanks so much to all of you who took part in my recent poll asking about what sort of workplace model optimises both your productivity and general mental and physical wellbeing.

I must admit to being personally surprised by the overwhelming majority (55% of voters) being in favour of spending the bulk of their time working remotely. These results poignantly demonstrate the value of a poll of this nature!

My personal answer - in line with my own role - is “majority time in-office”, along with 27% of you. I am personally finding that huge personal satisfaction, stronger personal connections and enhanced productivity all result from engaging in-person with my own colleagues, after almost two years of forced, exclusive remote work. Now, the occasional work day spent at my home office feels like a special day – a novelty – and I choose to prioritise this time for administrative catch-up rather than team meetings.

Considering the unprecedented pace at which the world of work has morphed, it’s not surprising that there is such a split vote. These are important results as they show how valuable the virtual connectivity, remote work and also flexibility offered by hybrid workplace models has become.

It seems clear from this poll that any employer who chooses to insist on 100% in-office time – like Apple is proposing – would potentially seem to do so at their peril, becoming an unattractive workplace for 94% of participants in this specific poll.

Indeed, hybrid offers a good middle ground when it comes to balancing wellbeing, creativity and productivity. At?Discovery Limited?our hybrid model allows most people to spend up to three days working remotely each week and no less than two days in-office. We are being quite deliberate to ensure that in-office time is focused on teaming up and collaboration with colleagues. It simply makes little sense to sit behind a video conference all day when in-office.

Insights from recent research focused on our Health Operations area’s hybrid experience demonstrate conclusively that the old adage of one-size-fits-all could not be more untrue when it comes to choice of work model.

The specific attributes of the role, leadership responsibilities, individual preferences and the technology required to carry out one’s work, all have direct relevance to the success and sustainability of hybrid work models.

So again, I would venture to suggest that companies that attempt to forcefully implement a one-size-fits-all approach, and create hard and fast rules for all job types, across the enterprise, may well find that they become an unattractive workplace for a large proportion of the workforce. In scarce talent environments, this could be devastating. I remain convinced that the flexible approach to work that we are currently piloting enhances our employee value proposition, with this flexibility particularly highly appreciated by people in certain roles. ?

Overall, I have found the results of this poll very interesting and really appreciate your views. That said, I recognise that organisations worldwide are in the early days of the hybrid journey with much still to be learned. Curiosity is critical in this phase with multiple ‘collaborative experiments’ being conducted to better understand how we leverage the opportunities that hybrid brings.

The real test of these models will be to closely measure and monitor employee happiness and engagement, and the company value-proposition which will correlate directly with productivity and business performance.

I continue to enjoy this phase of rapid learning and I’ll keep you posted as we learn more!

#remotework?#hybridwork?#wellness #CorporateWellnessWeek?#staff #wellbeing