Hybrid working - is there a disconnect?

It would appear there could be a disconnect in the workplace between employers and employees. A recent survey by *McKinsey, reported that 75% of C-suite Executives surveyed anticipated that employees would be back in the workplace 3 or more days per week. Of  5,000 employees questioned,  75% wanted to work from home for 2 or more days per week. So far so good. But 50% of those, wanted to work from home  for 3 + days. What does this mean moving forward? Well, it is going to be trial and error. What will work best for the company and employees? What warrants being in the office and want does not?

Remote working, some might say surprisingly, has been successful - especially as it was adopted quickly and under difficult circumstances. In the main, there is no evidence to support the previously held view that it would lead to lack of or a drop in productivity.

Having conducted my own research, younger employees missed interaction and the social aspect of an office environment. Others missed the ability to attend face-to-face meetings and interact with the hierarchy of an organisation, to get noticed and promote their “brand.” Others wanted a work/life balance which they felt was easier to maintain in an office environment rather than at home. More and more Executives and employees are also becoming bored with the interminable Zoom or Teams calls, especially when they are scheduled back-to-back.

Whatever your company decides, it could be critical to its success moving forward - in particular to retain and attract top talent.

So, how do you navigate this minefield and engage the majority of your staff? I would recommend listening and understanding what your staff want. They are, after all, your biggest investment! Analyse what you, as a C-leader, believes is necessary for the business and is business critical. Communicate and try to strike some balance. Deep intake of breadth required now - whilst also admitting that at this point in time there is no real clarity as to what will and will not work and therefore there has to be some fluidity from the leadership and staff. Encourage staff and remind them that  the majority of  them were able to adapt to the various lockdowns and remote working really quickly and so demonstrated agility, the same requirement is true now.

Communication will be critical as will listening skills - you may need to engage external coaches to perform regular sense checks.

*McKinsey Report By Aaron De Smet, Bonnie Dowling, Mihir Mysore, and Angelika Reich https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/its-time-for-leaders-to-get-real-about-hybrid?