Date:
23-APR-2021
With vaccine distribution
on the rise and COVID-19 cases falling, companies are beginning to feel safe
bringing their employees back to work sites. But simply resuming office hours
may not be the right move. We've learned that work can carry on efficiently and
effectively without meeting in an office, and employees aren't going to settle
for a fixed 40 hours in the office anymore. If you want to maintain your top
talent, your work model must evolve to accommodate employee preferences.
Moving forward, the vast
majority of employees want to be part of a hybrid office, working a set number
of hours per week from the office and a set number remotely. "Research
shows that 72% of employees expect it to be the
way forward," says Tracy Brower,
Ph.D., principal of applied research and consulting at Steelcase.
"It's going to be very, very important for us to figure out."
Several high-profile companies such as Citigroup,
Ford and Target have already announced they'll be switching to a hybrid working
model.
But designing a hybrid
work model is complicated. Hybrid work is more complex than a policy of
full-time office or remote work. You must account for space, develop fair
schedules and ensure that time in the office is time well-spent. We have an
opportunity to revolutionize the way we work, but we must be intentional and
strategic about it.
Here's how to develop
guidelines for a hybrid office at your organization.
Evaluate
Roles and Tasks
Specific roles benefit
more from in-person interactions and collaboration than others. Don't design a
one-size-fits-all model for in-office work. "Look at the individual and
the team job roles and the tasks and how they best get done," says Trina Hoefling,
co-founder at The SMART
Workplace and author of "Working Virtually: Transforming the Mobile Workplace."
Look at each role in your organization, and determine what percentage of that
role's tasks can be done from home and what percentage would benefit from
in-person interactions.
Think about work
processes, employee preferences and the nature of work itself. "When work
is truly routine, it's more easily done at home," Brower says. "But
when it requires speed, complexity or problem-solving, it's more easily done
face-to-face." Start with a basic poll to determine which tasks employees
think would be easier from the office versus working remotely.
Consider setting
in-office hours based on the point a team is at in each project, too. For
example, execution or coordination may not require face-to-face work, but
working in-person could be beneficial at the beginning of a project or at
generative points along the way, Brower says. Be intentional, and prioritize
in-person work for the roles and tasks that need it most.
Expect there to be some
tension between individual and team needs. Individual employees may prefer
remaining entirely remote, but if your job analysis reveals that certain tasks
move more quickly and effectively in person, then you need to make the case for
their hybrid return to the office. Survey your workforce to determine areas of
resistance to returning to work, such as lack of child care or other needs
complicating their return. It's up to you to strike the right balance between
organizational, team and individual needs as you develop guidelines for your
hybrid office.
Develop
Guidelines That Prioritize Equity and Inclusion
A hybrid office where
some employees come in more frequently than others can lead to imbalances in
relationships and, ultimately, in opportunities. Depending on the schedule you
develop, some employees may get more face time with their managers than others.
And this is further complicated if you have full-time remote employees in your
workforce, too.
You risk creating a
divide between those groups. Leaders tend to build trust faster and be biased
toward people they see every day versus those they don't, which often affects
who is selected for development and promotion.
Don't make any decisions
reactively or settle on the hybrid office because it's trending. Assemble a
committee to think through all of the factors, affected people and affected
functions. Representatives from real estate, facilities, HR, and strategic and
cultural leaders all have to work together to make the best decision for
everyone. "There's no one right answer," Hoefling says. "Inclusivity
is really the guideline."
As you design spaces and
schedules for your hybrid office, ensure that each employee gets equal face
time with their direct manager. Upskill leaders to conduct one-on-one check-ins
virtually so they can cultivate relationships with employees they may not see
face-to-face. Consider having managers and their teams decide on communication
and one-on-one check-in channels so that those conversations happen on an equal
playing field. Try to make decisions across the organization equitably, based
on pulse surveys and employee feedback.
Engineer
Experiences to Support Social Capital
Don't bring everyone
together just to be separate. If employees are coming into the office to work
behind closed doors, they might as well be working remotely. Engineer their
time together to capitalize on those interactions that we've missed since
working remotely: chance encounters in the hallway, at the watercooler or in
the breakroom that result in new processes, ideas and innovations.
"What are some of
the objectives we want to achieve as a part of this hybrid work
environment?" asks Angela R. Howard,
founder and organizational culture strategist at Angela R. Howard
Consulting. "It's imperative for the leaders to
understand what kind of experience they're looking to create." Take this
opportunity to support long-term career development and to empower employees to
take control of their careers. Teach them how to build their professional
brands and to take advantage of time in the office for learning and innovating.
Bond people by having
them collaborate on shared tasks, which can be more powerful than bonding over
social events like a virtual happy hour. Host "better together"
meetings, Howard suggests, to provide touchpoints for recognition, strategy and
team-building. Rethink legacy workgroup structures, too. "We need to
redefine the concept of adjacency," Brower says. Focus on adjacencies
based on work function instead of adjacencies based on being members of the
same team or department.
Take the layout and design of your workplace
into account as you develop your hybrid office. Offices of the future may look
more like a traditional coworking space, where employees work alongside each
other but don't have assigned seating. Create several welcoming workstations,
and allow employees to choose where they work each day. "Create a design
and a space that contributes to collaboration and getting the most out of that
time together," Howard says. "There are little things you can do,
like moving people around or having an open-door policy."
Take technology into
consideration, too. Without assigned seating, you won't have assigned desktops.
Work with IT to develop a technology and security infrastructure that's
suitable for remote work first.
Create
a Schedule to Optimize Office Space
Develop clear
expectations for when individuals should come into the office. Without an
overarching schedule, employees might show up at suboptimal times or wind up by
themselves. You don't want people coming in to be alone, which can add to the
sense of loneliness that spiked during the pandemic.
You can set core hours
during which everyone works together, use an A/B rotating schedule model or a
combination of both. Whichever model you choose, however, set a clear and
transparent schedule. "Without that clarity, real estate and facilities
can't anticipate space usage," Hoefling says. "A hybrid approach can
easily cost the company a ton of money with empty real estate most of the
time."
If you have core hours
where everyone is in the office together, for instance, then you still need a
full office — but it'll be empty much of the time, which can drive up costs. To
make the most of your office space, consider setting coordinated core hours
that differ by function, task or project.
Keep in mind that if you
do downsize to accommodate smaller groups, you won't be able to host full town
hall meetings. Work with your real estate and facilities representatives to
determine the best use of space for your organization.
Plan to
Perfect Your Model Over Time
Develop a listening
program to hear what employees are saying, and tweak your hybrid model as you
go. "This creates an environment of psychological safety for people to
speak up and say, 'This isn't working for me,'" Howard says. "You'll
hear those things early on versus them festering over time."
As you develop your
hybrid office, keep in mind that we're all learning through this. Be authentic
and transparent with your employees, and stay empathetic and responsive to
their needs. "When you're human with your team, they are human with
you," Hoefling says. Consider piloting your hybrid office program with a
group of fully vaccinated employees and then iterate until you get it right.
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