Hybrid Workplace: Adaptability Is Here to Stay

If the last 20 months have taught us anything, it is that the ways to achieve work success can look different than many of us thought. This realization led to the need for more fluidity in workplace structure and environment, especially from employers. That government client who insisted on having your entire team at the work site 100% of the time…that manager who believed that “face time” was the best way to guarantee her team’s productivity…that CEO who insisted that accountability could not exist without set work hours? They had to find their inner flexibility. Is that flexibility here to stay? Employees are consistently saying, yes.

The reality is that we had already been moving in that direction. Flexibility had become a more important driver in my conversations with leaders over the past few years. The competition for attracting and retaining talent was driving a lot of those discussions, as employees looked for companies with the right culture fit and best total rewards offerings. Employers were looking to cater to a broader range of employee needs than just compensation. Then came March 2020. That broad range of needs urgently required attention, and employers had to deliver. Is there no going back now? Here are a few things to consider.

There is a reason we keep seeing the words “hybrid workplace” all over social media and hearing them in conversations with leaders: employers want their teams back in the office, but employees do not want to go back to traditional work schedules. There is no denying that there were challenges to working from home, whether those were related to juggling kids’ remote schooling, lack of childcare, or managing care for a parent. We were being pulled in all directions. However, working from home also provided flexibility in when and how life responsibilities were handled. That flexibility has begun to outweigh the challenges.

The pandemic demanded that we find new ways of balancing work and home, and employers had little choice but to provide options. With flexibility and good communication as cornerstones, employees could work outside of core hours, spend lunchtime with kids, take a midday break for a walk outside, or spend time coordinating care for an aging parent. And those hours spent on commuting every week? Employees liked having that time back.

Employers are understandably concerned about telework’s potential impact on company culture, team collaboration, and employee engagement. The question now is what can leaders do about it? Talking to employees is the first step – use surveys to better understand the needs of your particular group. Not only will you show employees that you value their input, but you will be able to rely on data in your decision-making process. If your employees are indeed resistant to returning to traditional work schedules, consider a hybrid work schedule. That flexible option will give employers the ability to tailor a solution that supports both employee and business needs.

Survey results will also give employers insight into how company benefits offerings might need to be reevaluated. During the pandemic, employers strengthened access to resources that supported employees needs in mental health, childcare, and eldercare. Employees needed that additional support. Now, company leaders are considering adding financial investments in those benefit offerings to better address the financial impact of wellbeing, childcare, and eldercare on employees.

The last 20 months have been challenging for businesses and their employees. The circumstances required that employers be open minded in their thinking and agile in their response. That creative thinking found new ways for us to be successful at work while providing a work/life flexibility that employees valued. Employers need to continue to cultivate that out-of-the-box thinking to foster a more balanced and adaptable approach to employee wellbeing, productivity, and a sense of connection. Employees want to keep that balance – employers would be wise to deliver.