What’s Your Workplace Persona? The 4 Personas Defined

Achievers research found that 50 percent of companies want workers back in the office five days a week in 2023 even though 85 percent of employees reported preferring hybrid or remote working options.

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So, how do companies end this tug-of-war between the C-suite and its people? By listening to what workers want.

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The Birth of New Workplace Personas

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It’s clear that modern workforces want autonomy and flexibility in how they work. It has been proven that building a workplace that supports each of your employee’s differences catalyzes increased productivity and engagement levels, trust, and retention rates. However, tailoring a work environment to everyone is no easy task – but it certainly is not impossible.

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The Achievers HR team designed and implemented a flexible work model based on employee personas adapted to the ever-evolving world of work. Achievers’ Four Personas is a simple system that empowers executives to better understand employees’ ‘typical working behavior,’ while meeting the diverse needs of different workplace personas: in-office, hybrid, remote-by-choice and remote. When done right, an organization can encompass the entire company’s preferences while still providing the necessary structure, which helps facilitate trust, empowerment, and flexibility.

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Defining the Four Personas

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The Four Personas identify the typical behavior pattern of employees:

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1.????In-Office: Local employee that spends most days in the office

2.????Hybrid: Local employee that works in the office for two plus days a week, with the flexibility to work remotely the rest of the week

3.????Remote by Choice: Local employee that spends most days at home but will come to the office for organizational and team events

4.????Remote: Long distance employee that is 100 percent remote and rarely or never comes to the office for team events

By allowing employees to choose their preferred workplace persona, organizations can deliver an exceptional employee experience that meets employees where they are. The personas are impactful because they support habits around office usage (or lack thereof) and can combat inconsistencies and unclear expectations around coming into the office. These inconsistencies can make every day unpredictable and difficult to plan for office cultural efforts such as getting lunch for a team, meetings, or any other activity. Knowing who is onsite and who is remote is essential to every element of the employee experience — from office design to perks and benefits, to onboarding processes and employee friendships.

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Although the personas are designed to describe typical working behavior, every department is distinct, and roles may require various behaviors at different times. For example, an HR team needs to be onsite for onboarding but may choose hybrid or remote for other typical working days. Not all situations are created equal, but these personas highlight what is common and not common between the return to office experiences.

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Key Considerations for the Four Personas

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Establishing specific workplace personas allows employees to play a key role in re-envisioning the future of work. Yet, to transition to this model seamlessly, keep three things in mind:

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1.????Set Expectations in the Recruitment Process: Don't hire with remote expectations and then change the story on your people. If executives are truly considering some form of office culture, then discuss that early in the hiring process and share expectations with all employee prospects.

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2.????Allow Employees to “Persona Jump” Within Reason: These personas aren’t stagnant. Just because employees put themselves as a certain persona now, doesn't mean their personal circumstances won’t change.

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3.????Prioritize Workplace Belonging: Employee belonging is a huge driver of business performance and putting belonging in action can completely revamp a company culture, as employees with a strong sense of belonging are more than twice as likely to be resilient and almost three times as likely to say they’re highly productive at work. Luckily, employers can help bridge the social gap between in-office and remote work with powerful HR tools and resources, such as using technology solutions that create opportunities for employees to connect or establishing employee resource groups (ERGs).

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Priming Your Company Culture for the Future of Work

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Adopting a persona-based work model that empowers flexibility and autonomy in your workforce not only helps establish trust, but it can also increase employee retention rate and overall business performance. To build an employee experience that’s inclusive and engaging for all employees, visit this link for more resources.