While global organizations have proven remote work is viable at scale, many C-suites have struggled to establish industry standards around hybrid work policies.
The absence of a standard approach isn’t from a lack of trying. Although organizations have invested millions into hybrid workspaces and collaborative technologies, their employees require more flexibility than ever, and company leaders are discovering that there is simply no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to the employee experience.
So, rather than attempting to control employees by bouncing from one RTO (return to office) policy to the next, a better approach is to align work arrangements based on organization, region, and employee requirements. When it comes down to it, if your back-to-work initiatives are falling flat, the problem may be your culture, not your employees.
Over the last year, the number of US full-time office-bound workers has risen marginally from 36% to 43%. This slow return to pre-pandemic occupancy levels is especially interesting, given widespread pushes toward bringing employees back into the office. Employees are clearly unphased and don’t want to give up the flexibility they’ve grown accustomed to.
However, hybrid policies aren’t working the way many companies expect them to. In fact, 74% of companies have changed their hybrid work policies more than once since 2020.
Why?
Maybe it’s the fact that senior leaders are torn between the desire for in-person collaboration and the need for flexibility that modern work requires.
To strike the right balance, leaders must understand that this decision isn’t about what’s easiest or most cost-effective. Leveraging antiquated technologies as a way to drive policy decisions clearly isn’t resonating with the workforce. To gain a better understanding of the needs and preferences of their employees, senior leaders need to truly understand the daily experience of their employees.
Hybrid work often holds greater potential than total RTO mandates. In fact, a recent study showed that employees who worked three days in the office and two days at home experienced higher performance, job satisfaction, and retention compared to those who worked the entire week in the office.
Yet, while many organizations have achieved success with this model, hybrid work routines take time and intention to pull off. However, for many businesses, indecision regarding their hybrid and RTO policies can lead to rushed implementations that are bound to fall flat. Often, decision makers can be prisoners of the moment, rushing to follow the lead of competitors as they issue (or retract) RTO mandates.
While changes may signal agility to meet real-time challenges, this rush to action is exacerbated by processes, workflows, technology, and management styles designed for fully in-person work. To pull off a successful hybrid transition, organizations simply need more time. They need to rebuild their culture around hybrid work, starting by considering each team and individual role from both a technical and human needs perspective.
One of the biggest challenges for senior leadership is learning how to develop a corporate culture centered around a hybrid work model. While there isn’t a single solution, below is a broad framework to help inform your approach to implementation:
Consider all aspects of employee experience, from your software and hardware stacks to the facilities employees use to work and meet. In this evaluation, it’s crucial to incorporate all stakeholders who play a role in employee experiences, such as Facilities, IT, Operations, and HR.
Consider the challenges your employees face when trying to work remotely and in the office.
Devote time and resources toward observing how employees work, administer surveys and interviews to hear from them firsthand, and provide training on new collaboration tools as you roll them out.
As data comes in from various assessments, it's critical not to overreact. Take time to identify which policies are aligned with your workforce and which policies are coming at the expense of employee productivity and satisfaction. Once again, incorporate insights from HR, Facilities, and IT in this process.
Then consider how to prioritize these changes, employing dashboards to make the breadth of data digestible. This will help guide the organization in assessing the financial, technical and organizational lift needed for each of them.
Creating a roadmap to implementation that lists priorities may seem like a lot of work, but the real lift comes in implementation. It's crucial to understand how much change your employees can handle at once, as well as how to communicate these changes in a way that resonates.
While some problems are easily fixed, others may require time-intensive, innovative tech solutions. To reduce friction and the employee learning curve, keep changes in line with the organizational change tolerance. Resisting the urge to immediately implement as many changes as possible — opting instead for a cadence of regular communication and training that coincide with enhancements — can make sustainable cultural reflections.
Measure each change over time to ensure that the policies haven’t created unforeseen side effects, and be open with employees about the results. Maintaining an ongoing feedback loop is a prerequisite to seeing improvements over time.
When initiatives fall flat, look beyond individual employees to identify the problem. Often, excessive friction signals a team-wide, systemic issue. Don't hesitate to change approaches as you gain a better understanding of your employees' needs. To satisfy employees, you must address the nuances of hybrid work with equally nuanced policies and technology.
This article was originally published on Forbes
