The Working Pattern Tipping Point

Judging by the social media debate erupting, we are entering into a great divergence in the organisation of labour. One group that wants to maintain the last centuries assumption of onsite working, 5 days a week (see Jacob Rees-Mogg). The other that is embracing the new emergent working patterns of 4-day weeks & working from wherever best suits the needs of the task. The studies are starting to show there is validity in both camps, but organisations need to start moving forward in understanding what hybrid & 4-day week means for them. Making some difficult, but deliberate organisational choices to ensure it adapts to this shifting balance of power, away from the employer and into the hands of the employee (or worker). A rebalance of power not seen since the organisation of the labour movement, during the industrial revolution.?The decision to not adapt in time, not to a customer need, but an employee need, could create a new generation of Kodak’s, Yahoo’s & Blockbuster's. HR are uniquely placed to be the employee market analysts, to understand & curate this new value proposition, and like that rapid market transition of digital cameras, streaming and internet search, ensure that these new employee preferences are leveraged for competitive differential. This employee value proposition has to as robust as any company’s product value proposition. Espoused words that are great straplines but not lived experiences will not suffice.?

?

The UK 4-day week study has now announced its results?(The 4 Day Week Pilot Program Results — 4 Day Week Global.). These results included the biggest change in my life since 2020. The breaking down of domestic gender stereotypes, with the study mirroring my lived experience, of kids spending more time with their Dads and Men taking on more of the household duties (the bin is still a “blue job” in my house). A lower impact on the climate through a reduction in commuting, more leisure and personal maintenance with a 71% reduction in levels of burnout. All whilst maintaining productivity, reducing attrition (remember the great resignation headlines last year) and delivering 35% more revenue. Now all of these figures need to have some more scrutiny and the context understood, but with 91% of staff continuing after the UK trial this will soon move from a competitive differentiator to competitive parity like pensions, discount portals and holiday.?

?

In this uncertain time, Cynefin (Ku-nev-in) framework(The Cynefin Framework - Using the Most Appropriate Problem-Solving Process.)?tells us that in this complex or even chaotic environment, there is no best practice, or even good practice. Like Covid, there is no rule book, we need to act small, sense the reaction and then respond. There is?no big linear change plan, with a best practice end point that informs a large meticulously planned transformation behind it. It will take the agile approach of small and rapid tests, sensing and measuring the reaction and responding quickly to the results.?

HR need to ensure they are torch bearers of rational and informed practice, steering some leadership away from their natural preference for the simplicity of the good old days and towards the opportunities this disruption offers. The data emerging from the studies of working patterns during Covid shows us that organisational silo's are exaggerated,?with the bridges between groups breaking down. These bridges are individuals in networks that bridge into other teams, in remote working these bridges decay or for new entrants into businesses, are never even built. This reduces creativity in organisations where problems are solved by multi-disciplinary teams. Although for individual contributor roles where there are clear instructions, little ambiguity or creation needed, productivity increases when working remotely. The challenge is, most jobs are somewhere in the middle, even harder, some tasks within jobs are spread across this spectrum. We thought automation through AI would be the big disrupter coming to jobs, but hybrid working may be to office workers, what the ATM was to cashiers.?

This black swan event has happened, those who lean into the disruption caused in the labour market, will find competitive differentiation.

The 4 Day Week Pilot Program Results — 4 Day Week Global. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.4dayweek.com/research-results

The Cynefin Framework - Using the Most Appropriate Problem-Solving Process. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.mindtools.com/atddimk/the-cynefin-framework