Highlights of the story
- Uncertain hybrid strategies create conflict between employers and employees
- Customer centricity should be the primary focus of hybrid strategies
- Managers are the most important element for a successful hybrid operation
The hybrid is here.
According to a Gallup analysis, only 3% of employees in professional services with remote jobs say they would prefer to work entirely on-site. But only one in three chooses to be particularly remote. This means that two out of three professional service workers, including roles such as engineers, administrative assistants, consultants, and computer programmers, are preferred. And more than half expect to be hybrid based on their employer plans.
But that doesn’t mean hybrids aren’t a source of significant conflict between employers and employees.
An executive might say, “It’s not working. Back to the office. Collaboration is not good. Our culture is dying. We’re paying people to follow their own interests, hang out at home and relax. “
The individual contributor might respond, “Who wants to sit through the fun journey of life and then sit down with a manager who doesn’t like me at all? Sitting in another chair in the office, watching the same people in the video.” What is it that I always do? Yes, I exercise a lot. Yes, I spend a lot of time with my family. By the way, I have options in the market!”
Is it just a matter of different perspectives? What do we really know about the new hybrid workplace? And how can we use this data to bridge the gap between the views of executives and workers?
Gallup research found that hybrid workers in professional services are most appreciative of their work situation:
- Improved work-life balance
- Efficient use of time
- More independence
- A little burning
- High productivity
In other words, they see benefits for productivity and well-being throughout their lives.
But this does not mean that the work of the hybrid is complete. Workers also note that hybrid work leads to:
- Less relevant to organizational culture
- Cooperation is reduced
- Less access to resources
- Coordination challenges
- chaotic processes
Clearly, organizations must find a way to recognize and embrace the opportunities and challenges of hybrid work in order to gain value and leverage.
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CEO’s View: It’s all about the customer
Peter Drucker put it best: “The purpose of business is to create and retain customers.”
Today’s workplace is home to many opposing views — social, cultural and political. But lost in all this is the truth There is a workplace to serve the customer. era Whatever the hybrid workplace does, it must serve the right of the customer.
Unfortunately, from the CEO’s desk, the business-customer relationship is not looking good right now. America’s consumer satisfaction index has fallen four percent since 2018, the biggest drop in its 28-year history. Why is this so important? Because customer satisfaction is the primary driver of business growth.
The employee side of the employee-client relationship is perhaps even more frustrating. Only three in 10 employees are proud of the products and services their organization offers. And only one in five believe that leaders in their organization make decisions with their customers in mind.
Overall labor productivity is also struggling. According to the latest report from the New York Bureau of Labor Statistics, productivity fell earlier this year and only rebounded slightly in the third quarter. We do not know the real reason for this rapid decline. Perhaps we are emerging from pandemic hyper-production. Perhaps the “mass resignation” has led to many new hires, which take time to develop. Or maybe we’re in a “productivity funk” where many workers feel they can rest easy in a tight labor market.
The hybrid works well
Considering the above information, it is right for seniors to be concerned about their workplaces. This is not business as usual. We are in a new world of work. So what can we do to make these hybrid workplaces more productive and focused on customer growth?
- How often should we be on site? For collaborative roles, the busiest employees (and those with the highest well-being) work on site about three days a week. However, the best choice is customized to individual goals, team collaboration and customer value.
- Who decides the hybrid schedule? Leaders must provide direction and framework, but Gallup’s data clearly shows that work teams must coordinate their hybrid policies together. Direct organizational mandates do not allow team members to commit to each other and perform well based on local needs and customer value. Adjustment within the team why Scheduling works for individual performance, customer value and team collaboration create the necessary buy-in.
- What organizational changes are needed? It’s time to review your employee value proposition. What people want out of work has changed. It is also necessary for construction workplace Value proposition. Give a compelling reason to go to the office. Finally, performance management systems must be redesigned to accommodate hybrid work. We need to work against immediacy and availability bias while keeping our focus on clear expectations and outcomes.
- What do our managers need? Manager support is a critical element for successful hybrid work. As a general rule, managers should have a meaningful conversation with their direct reports every week. The conversation should be about goals, well-being, customers and cooperation.
