The hybrid workforce

Hybrid Working: The many faces of the ‘new’ workforce

The end of the pandemic is in sight and with it comes a return to a normal way of life we’ve not seen for two years. How are employers approaching the return to the office and is a hybrid workforce here to stay?

The adoption of at-home working was completely necessary at the start of the pandemic to keep the wheels of the global economy turning. But as phrases such as social distancing, work-from-home, isolation and quarantine slowly leave our day-to-day vocabularies, the return to a “new normal” flexible and / or hybrid way of working is front of mind for everyone in the workforce. While work-from-home orders were rescinded in July of 2021, the arrival of Omicron in November and a snap back into COVID-19 restrictions, it seems the workforce is somewhat weary of a second return to the office and digging in heels to secure a more flexible or hybrid environment.

But while a flexible way of working isn’t a new concept considering we’ve been doing so for almost a year; the end of the pandemic is in sight and employers and employees are asking: will the end of the pandemic signal the end of the hybrid workforce?

“Remote work is here to stay and is the new normal. As a result of the pandemic, over the last two years, corporates have been in a reactive mode. However, many are now taking a more strategic and planned approach to managing the challenges of a flexible and remote workforce and digitalisation of the workforce is being looked at in a significant way,” said Devyani Vaishampayan, TIARA Talent Tech Star judge and CEO of an AI consulting firm.

According to Josh Bersin, Global Analyst and leader in HR tech, 80% of the global workforce is deskless – this means people in the workforce who can’t work flexibly like hospitality, healthcare and retail workers. But even with most of the workforce unable to work flexibly, businesses across the globe have proven that the show can go on while working remotely.

HYBRID FOR THE WIN

For the better part of two years the talent landscape has been embroiled in a war for scarce talent that has pushed talent acquisition teams and employers to find and place the best talent in a short space of time – a trying task. But as the candidate-driven market continues to gain momentum, one thing is certain, flexible working is no longer a nice-to-have perk, it has become a condition of employment for candidates looking for new roles.

Debbie Walton Editor TALiNT Partners Ryan McCabe, CEO at Odro agrees that hybrid working is here to stay. He said: “Previously people thought that certain industries would fail to adapt and would continue to force people to come into the office every day once lockdown was over. I think it’s now clear that hybrid working is a competitive advantage, if not a minimum requirement, in the war for talent. And if I’ve learned anything in my career, it’s that people are the most important part of your business to get right. Which tells me that the decision has already been made by the masses.

The research to support of hybrid working models is overwhelming, believes Omri Dekalo, CEO and Co-Founder of Ubeya, the workforce management solution company. “For instance, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that ‘81% of employees said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.’ Eighty-one percent! It makes perfect sense. If your employer shows they care about you as an individual beyond the workspace, you are more likely to hold favourable opinions of your workplace, feel a sense of genuine satisfaction, and feel like you belong.”

Omri feels that the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on humanity, and it’s obvious now that how employees have responded in the context of their jobs and careers that work/life balance is of paramount importance to them.

“Employees now consider work/life balance and work flexibility amongst the top priorities when looking for their next role, and that spans both

FROM THE TOP DOWN

To make a success of a new strategy in any workplace, it’s imperative to have buy-in from leadership.

“The pandemic has shown us how important flexibility and hybrid working are in the workplace. This is where effective leadership is more important than ever to protect businesses from the potential risks of declining productivity, high staff turnover and the decline of corporate culture. To ensure that hybrid working is as unproblematic and smooth as possible, companies need to treat the old office as a hub for people to collaborate in and work easily with those colleagues that are in front of them that day or are remotely working. To get this working efficiently there shouldn’t be a difference, and the hub should just be seen as another remote working venue,” says Wendy McDougall, CEO at FireFish.

Ryan shared Odro’s approach to transitioning to a fully functional, hybrid workforce: “We recently appointed a Head of L&D who carries out 121s with our team members across all departments and ensures that the business is giving them everything they need to perform at a high level in their role – including the environment they must operate within.

We made sure everyone in the business had laptops, mobile phones, desks, chairs, monitors etc when we moved to WFA and supported them when they needed equipment. This has also become a checkpoint we make at interview stage for new starts to ensure they’re going to be equipped to do the job and from a good working environment that’s going to work for them, and us.”

MANAGING THE RETURN TO THE NEW NORMAL

It’s well-established that hybrid working is here to stay, so how do leaders and HR teams manage a workforce that effectively works in two places – home and office?

Devyani Vaishampayan CEO HR Tech Partnership

Ryan McCabe CEO Odro

Wendy McDougall, CEO & Founder Firefish

Omri Dekalo CEO Ubeya Matt Burton, CEO at MBA said: “These past few years have taught us that being flexible and having trust in your team is imperative. We believe that transparency in the transition back to office if of the utmost importance, specifically surrounding expectations, safety measures, and flexibility options. The difficulties of dealing with an unprecedented pandemic accompanied by the transitioning back and forth to and from the office has been hard on employees, which is why employers need to be understanding and allow for an open line of communication above all else. Leaving the office was sudden, not allowing much time for employees to process, that is why we at MBA decided to ease everyone into coming back to the office so they could adjust to the ‘new normal’ in a way that works for them. Employers need to ensure that our staff are well looked after, as they are at the heart of what we do.”

Ryan at Odro agrees that open communication is key, not only from employers but employees, too. “Be open and honest about your position. If you need help, are struggling to find balance or you’re unhappy about your working environment; you must speak up. Without the correct information your employer can’t fix the problem.”

“I think it’s now clear that hybrid working is a competitive advantage, if not a minimum requirement, in the war for talent.”

Ryan McCabe, CEO at Odro

FireFish CEO Wendy shared what they’re doing to support to the transition back into the office. She said, “In addition to our hybrid working model, our Head of Remote Working supports our staff, quickly resolving the logistics of remote working and the random issues that always arise. By having a dedicated person on this, we stay

“The pandemic has shown us how important flexibility and hybrid working are in the workplace.”

Wendy McDougall, CEO at FireFish

focused, ensuring that the remote workforce is as productive as possible.”

TECHNOLOGY SAVES THE DAY

Rapid digitalisation afforded the global workforce to work from home two years ago and it will continue to support and advance the hybrid working model.

Devyani Vaishampayan shared her views on how technology will advance and support this move to permanent hybrid working. “AI and digital technology can deeply accelerate a positive employee experience as it empowers employees and helps personalisation. As these technologies are cost effective and easy to integrate, it will be easier for organisations to adopt and scale them rapidly. Finally, the use of real-time predictive analytics and insights will help business leaders become proactive and focused around solving employee issues.”

CHALLENGES OF A HYBRID WORKFORCE

While the hybrid working model has many positives and is the way forward for many organisations, it will certainly come with challenges for both employers and employees.

“Research suggests hybrid working is the most exhausting working approach – with employees struggling to balance the unique demands of working at home and in the office. However, with everyone having a different view on how they would prefer to work, employers will likely be left to deal with the fall-out whichever decision they make,” said Kevin Thomson, Corporate Healthcare Director, Nuffield Health.

Flexible working during the pandemic has been a saviour for many families and the prospect of returning to the office, even for a few days a week is likely to cause concern for some workers. “One group likely to be anxious at the prospect of a return to the workplace is new parents. Those who have welcomed children during the last two years may not yet have balanced the

Matt Burton CEO MBA

Kevin Thomson Corporate Healthcare Director Nuffield Health stresses of parenthood and office working,” said Kevin.

“Similarly, many ‘young returners’ are also at risk, with research suggesting the number of 18- to 34-year-olds working in the ‘gig economy’ or unsteady hours has almost tripled since the pandemic. Compared with full-time work with regular hours, this brings additional financial worries and often disruption to healthy habits and social lives,” added Kevin.

Another potential challenge according to Devyani is getting buy-in. “Many organisations will be persuading traditional managers to adopt this change. There are some that may still feel that a culture of ‘presenteeism’ equates to productivity. Organisations will have to invest and think strategically about tools and training/coaching to help both employees and managers be effective in a hybrid workplace.”

With the government finally putting a line in the sand for ending all coronavirus restrictions, a transition back to the way life was pre-pandemic is bound to bring with is uncertainty and apprehension. But with the technological advancements made in the last year along with focus on employee wellbeing and work/life balance, the future of the new way of working certainly does look bright.

“One group likely to be anxious at the prospect of a return to the workplace is new parents. Those who have welcomed children during the last two years may not yet have balanced the stresses of parenthood and office working”

Kevin Thomson, Corporate Healthcare Director, Nuffield Health

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