Hybrid Work Is Just … Work

But Why Are Employees and Employers Divided?

“Many leaders yearn for the office life of 2019—hallways abuzz with chatter, coffee overflowing.”

Microsoft recently published a WTI Pulse Report that shared results of an extensive (20,000 people), global (11 countries) survey of workers in a mix of work environments. The simple conclusion:

“Months into hybrid work, not everyone agrees on how it’s going. Employees and employers are divided. Employees have embraced flexible work and its benefits and are rejecting a return to hustle culture. At the same time, many leaders yearn for the office life of 2019—hallways abuzz with chatter, coffee overflowing.”

The data the survey pulled together points to three urgent pivots for leaders to drive alignment and empower people for the new ways we work.

1.     End productivity paranoia 

2.     Embrace the fact that people come in for each other 

3.     Re-recruit your employees 

1.     End productivity paranoia

People are working more than ever, while leaders are questioning if their employees are being productive. 87% of employees report being productive at work, and productivity signals across Microsoft 365 continue to climb.

At the same time, 85% of leaders say that the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive. Some organizations use technology to track activity rather than impact, which has led to productivity paranoia: “where leaders fear that lost productivity is due to employees not working, even though hours worked, number of meetings, and other activity metrics have increased.”

Many leaders and managers are missing the old visual cues of what it means to be productive because they can’t “see” who is hard at work by walking down the hall or past the conference room. And as a result, there is a blatant disconnect between the share of leaders who say they have full confidence their team is productive (12%) and the portion of employees who report they are productive at work.

Recommended Actions:

·       Set goals to ensure that employee work aligns with company goals.

·       Create and reinforce a culture that rewards employees’ impact, not just activity.

·       Collect employee feedback regularly at organizational, departmental, and team levels to keep a pulse on your people—and empower managers and leaders to actively listen, coach, and make better decisions to improve the overall performance and well-being of their teams.

2.     Embrace the fact that people come in for each other

How can leaders inspire people to prioritize in-person time together? The data shows that people come in for each other to recapture what they miss: the social connection of being with other people.

73% of employees say they need a better reason to go in than just company expectations. While a less certain job market may motivate some employees to spend more time in the office, a more lasting, effective approach requires concerted efforts to rebuild social capital.

The data reveals a better way to bring people back together:

·       84% of employees would be motivated by the promise of socializing with co-workers.

·       85% would be motivated by rebuilding team bonds.

·       73% would go to the office if they knew their team members would be there

·       74% would go if their work friends were there.

And the office can't be the only answer—technology plays a critical role in creating connections wherever, whenever, and however people work. And communication is crucial to keeping everyone engaged and informed: according to nearly all business decision-makers (96%) and employees (95%), effective communication is among the most critical skills they'll need in the year ahead.

Recommended Actions:

·       Use the in-person time to help employees rebuild team bonds and networks.

·       Build a digital employee experience to help employees stay connected to each other, to leadership, and to the company culture, no matter where they're working.

·       Create a digital community with modern communication tools to fuel conversation, empower people to express themselves, and connect leadership and employees.

3.     Re-recruit your employees

“Amid macroeconomic headwinds, now is the time for every organization to re-recruit, re-onboard, and re-energize employees. And the data shows if people can’t learn and grow, they’ll leave. As employees embrace a new “worth-it” equation, they’re increasingly turning to job-hopping, the creator economy, side hustles, and entrepreneurship to achieve their career goals.”

76% of employees say they’d stay at their company longer if they could benefit more from learning and development support. 56% of employees say there are not enough growth opportunities in their company to make them want to stay long-term. And many employees believe that learning requires leaving: 55% say the best way for them to develop their skills is to change companies.

And to emphasize the importance of ongoing learning, according to LinkedIn, the skill sets for jobs have changed by approximately 25% since 2015. And by 2027, this number is expected to double.

Recommended Actions:

·       Make learning and growth core to the employee experience.

·       Recognize that people want opportunities not just for promotion but to broaden their skills. Organizations need to make internal mobility a key priority.

·       Create an internal talent marketplace where people can grow their skills, build their careers, and find purpose while helping the organization thrive.

“The changes that have swept the work world over the past few years are not temporary. Flexibility is a feature, not a fad. And 2019 leadership practices simply won’t meet the moment for a digitally connected, distributed workforce. Leaders who look to data—not just instinct—and focus on clarity, social capital, and career growth can realize both the promise of hybrid work and the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Now more than ever, positive business outcomes depend on positive people outcomes.”

Fractional executives personify flexible hybrid work. Talk to us to find out how they can fit into your team.

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Microsoft – Hybrid Work Is Just Work. Are We Doing It Wrong?

Photo by Anne Gosewehr