Is the belief that real value can only be derived from in-person interactions a thing of the past?
As we move into the third year of new ways of working, the rules around hybrid work continue to be grappled with. Companies are taking approaches ranging from giving employees full autonomy over how and where they work, to mandating that everyone returns to the office full-time. Even within the Tech industry, where the tools and culture to support working from anywhere have long been in place, there are opposing views on hybrid work. While Twitter has pivoted from its previous flexi-working policy to treating remote work as ‘no longer acceptable’, Apple’s order for employees to return to the office three days a week has been met with an internal petition by disgruntled workers demanding ‘location flexible work’. So, what is the optimal recipe for hours spent working remotely versus in a physical workplace, for the business context and role type?
To some, the view that productivity can only be fully achieved in-person is archaic and ignorant of the evidence on the benefits of hybrid working. While the return-to-office approach may appear as a knee-jerk reaction to business struggles during this time of economic uncertainty, it is arguably necessary for certain industries. A year after mandating that staff return to the office full-time, the United Wholesale Mortgage CEO claimed that ‘Without question, it’s been worth it’, with physical proximity and face-to-face interaction making work easier and strengthening team dynamics.
However, companies that do not offer the flexibility that workers expect risk damaging the employer brand and driving away talent. Given the current global talent crunch and with less than 10% of people wanting to work completely from the office, leaders may need to meet employee expectations at least somewhere in the middle, in order for the company to remain competitive.
On the other side of the coin, are fully remote teams with no structured facetime missing out on important opportunities to connect, create together and progress their careers? Some companies like Airbnb and Spotify have opted for a remote-first hybrid model; offering employees the option to work from home on a permanent basis while keeping the offices open in some form. Many offices have been redesigned around hot-desking and collaborative open spaces, but anecdotally people are experiencing a ghost town when they make the effort to go in. Particular individuals (like new joiners) often want to enjoy some office camaraderie and switch up their home-working routine, but are dissuaded by the soulless space that their workplace has become.
Teams that are agreeing to meet in the office on a regular basis that works for them may be getting the best of both worlds. Some structure or policy at this level enables employees to maintain flexible working alongside the opportunity to collaborate with their teammates in-person (without having to arrange a day themselves). This provides autonomy around an anchor that can encourage motivation, innovation and productivity when done in the right way.
Louisa is a research and content-writing expert specialising in HR and Organisational Development. With a background in research and consultancy across the People field, she founded Elbe Consulting in 2020.
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