Inspiration on Ways of Work for 2021
While this year comes to a close, companies are evaluating the learnings of 2020 and think about the future they want to shape for their organisations. For many, the future of work is hybrid. And the transition is already underway, ready to kick off when covid-19 allows for it.
One of the things many employees have learned in 2020 is how well remote works. Looking at data from the EU and US, the desire for more flexibility in location is clear. However, most people still want to have a choice to work from the office.
“The future of work is hybrid.”
How often would people like to work from home once covid-19 is no longer a concern?
EU
US
Why hybrid?
Completely remote does not work for every company, every team or every individual. Typically, sales & creative teams are having a harder time working purely remote, whereas developers, copywriters or freelancers often enjoy working from home thanks to less distractions. Depending on personality however, some enjoy having other people around for inspiration and motivation. And different tasks require different environments: for example creative and collaborative tasks benefit from in-person collaboration. Hence, a hybrid model is often the best choice as it suits different needs.
Challenges with hybrid work
If not properly managed, the team can split into in-person and remote employees, creating a divided culture.
Lacking shared social identity can harm team effectiveness by impairing trust and team spirit.
Employees at home miss out on the team bonding.
Proximity bias: people in the office are perceived to be more productive, get more information and social interaction.
Most humans like routines. Changing between office and remote takes time to adapt, which might cause stress.
Managers need to manage two fundamentally different employee experiences.
There is no one-fits all solution. You need to define what works for you.
“Success with a hybrid or fully remote workforce requires operational intentionality. Unquestioningly sticking to systems and processes that made an office-based model successful will doom any remote model to fail.”
Learning from pioneers
Hybrid work is a new phenomenon, but there are some pioneers who are leading the way. They might inspire you and give you some things to consider.
Google communicates clarity and tests flexible work week
Sundar Pichai, CEO at Alphabet: “No company at our scale has ever created a fully hybrid work force model, so it will be interesting to try.”
Google will be testing a flexible workweek once a safe return to the office is possible. In the pilot plan, employees are expected to work at least three days a week in the office for “collaboration days” while working from home the other days. “We are testing a hypothesis that a flexible work model will lead to greater productivity, collaboration, and well-being”, says Sundar Pichai, CEO at Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Learn from Google: Communicate a clear guideline that is equal for everyone. Define your plan as experiment and test it, amend as you learn from real-life implementation.
Microsoft enables hybrid work to support individual work styles
Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft Executive VP and Chief People Officer, addresses the 156’000 staff members in a blog post in October 2020. She acknowledges the different situations for different roles and recommends up to 50% work from home. She calls for employees to discuss their setup with their teams and managers, empowering them to create their own best way to work hybrid.
Learn from Microsoft: Provide clarity and fairness with top leadership communication. And encourage employees to find the solution that works best for them with their teams.
Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft Chief People Officer: “We will offer as much flexibility as possible to support individual work styles, while balancing business needs, and ensuring we live our culture.”
Gitlab empowers employees to choose their best setup
Sid Sijbrandij, CEO at Gitlab: “I proactively built an all-remote company after discovering early on that you don’t need everyone in the same building to achieve results.”
Gitlab is a remote first company and a role model for remote work. They put their employee at the centre when it comes to workplace preference. As Sid Sijbrandij, CEO at Gitlab, explains, “Working from home will never be the best solution for everyone, and remote doesn’t always mean home. If a team member wants to work in an office because their home isn’t conducive to work, they want the social interaction of a coworking space, or they simply feel more productive away from home, we'll pay for the space.”
Learn from Gitlab: Putting the employee at the centre and fully supporting them in their individual setup to be the most productive.
Intentionally designing your hybrid setup is the key to success. Use the Hybrid Team Playbook to guide your conversation.
Any thoughts? I’m very curious to read them! Send me an e-mail!