{"id":17212,"date":"2021-03-08T16:32:46","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T16:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=17212"},"modified":"2023-01-17T10:25:11","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T10:25:11","slug":"how-will-you-prepare-your-workforce-for-the-age-of-hybrid-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/how-will-you-prepare-your-workforce-for-the-age-of-hybrid-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How Will You Prepare Your Workforce for the Age of Hybrid Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re not at the beginning, but we\u2019re nowhere near the end.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a year in which life was on hold, there\u2019s a lot to say about 2020. We\u2019re approaching the anniversary of the first lockdown in the UK. What are the next 12 months supposed to look like?<\/span><\/p>\n

This time last year I was saying \u2018<\/span>The capability to work remotely is simply expected<\/span><\/a>\u2019. It still is, of course \u2013\u00a0but expectations have evolved since then, along with business needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best businesses took extra steps to keep employees connected and engaged through the remote working experience. That investment doesn\u2019t stop there. As the UK opens up, businesses are still in the process of reshaping how work is done.<\/span><\/p>\n

The BBC made a headline out of Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon <\/span>calling mass remote working \u2018an aberration\u2019<\/span><\/a>. That\u2019s true, but it\u2019s not a binary discussion anyway, it\u2019s more a question of relative value.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which way of working brings more relative value to your business?<\/span><\/p>\n

For less experienced employees, it makes sense to have more direct contact. It\u2019s easier to build relationships and rapport \u2013\u00a0and grow social capital<\/a> \u2013\u00a0through in-person interaction and coincidental connections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote working could be more suitable for autonomous employees who have a well established network in the organisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wherever the balance lies for your business, you\u2019ll need to find it yourself \u2013 when it comes to employee experience, one model doesn\u2019t fit all.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the question of remote work<\/a> or \u2018return to\u2019 work, how do your expectations as an employer measure up against those of your employees?<\/span><\/p>\n

Over in the US, <\/span>PWC found 68% of execs<\/span><\/a> think staff should be in the office at least three days a week once it\u2019s possible. More than half of employees, on the other hand, want to be remote three days or more a week, and 29% want to be remote five days a week.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s this kind of disconnect we need to somehow overcome \u2013 or risk falling behind as we struggle to reestablish business as usual.<\/span><\/p>\n

So things are a bit more complicated these days. But where there\u2019s challenge, there\u2019s opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t expect all your customers to contact you the same way \u2013 customers have a variety of preferred channels. Nor do you expect all your customer journeys to be the same. Some customers linger at the top of the funnel for a long time, while some enter mid-funnel and convert quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, it\u2019s a mistake to expect all your employees to work the same way. Considering your employees like you consider your customers is an opportunity for you to get more from your workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t