Johannesburg, 28 Mar 2022
It turns out we were wrong. Looking back at concerns surrounding alternative work models, most handwringing argued about lower productivity. That problem didn't materialise – to the contrary, productivity jumped during the first months of the pandemic, then often settled back to normal levels. The myth of the persistently lazy employee has been busted.
Hybrid workplaces are the emerging winners of the new office order. When Accenture polled roughly 10 000 people in 2021 about their preference, 83% said they wanted a hybrid arrangement where they could work remotely at least a quarter of the time. That result also resonates with a less-discussed point: remote-only isn't ideal – offices are good for getting things done.
"Being at the office is not necessarily just a social event," says Wilhelm Strydom, Sales Operations Administrator at Obsidian Systems. "It is very effective for working. It's the best place and the best time to have certain levels of meetings, connect with higher-up management and connect with human knowledge."
Obsidian's HR Manager, Catherine Muller, agrees: "My personal opinion is that remote-first is an ideal that sounds great on paper, and initially worked better than we expected it to. But it's not the be-all and end-all."
Yet neither argue that we can return to the office as it was. Hybrid is a new paradigm, and "we need to figure out how we can incorporate employees back into the company and rebuild the personal connections that we have with each other".
After the flood
Obsidian has a unique perspective on the subject. It entered into a remote work phase much sooner than other companies. A few years before the pandemic struck, Obsidian's offices were damaged by a flood from a ruptured water main. The entire organisation had to shift to remote work for six months.
"We had a bit of an exercise in having to work remotely," Strydom explains. "Because it was capped at about six months or so, it was relatively successful. It taught us that under certain conditions, remote work is a possibility."
But they also noticed an issue that other companies would realise during the pandemic: culture suffers. During short periods of remote work, you can rely on the connections people have cultivated. But those start to wear thin, says Muller: "Down the line, it definitely impacts company culture. Culture is people and when people are not connecting, you cannot maintain their culture."
She adds that employee well-being also becomes a concern: people are social animals and struggle with the strain of isolation. Some types of jobs also do not function well remotely. Then there is a big emerging issue: onboarding and amalgamating new people into the company culture is very difficult.
"They might have the technical capacity, but they still have to learn how to work with fellow employees and customers."
Five strategies to fix hybrid
Hybrid models are incomplete. They represent the future of the workplace, but they need to find their proper shape. Muller notes that Obsidian is still figuring it out with trial and error. But a few ideas seem to work well.
First, look at creating personal channels. These can be well-being channels, online spaces for employees to socialise, and incentives to be at the office. Such incentives include days that focus on specific activities – such as pooling key meetings – and bringing in guest speakers who can talk about personal topics and development. The goal is to develop a more people-centric environment – what value does the employee get from being at the office?
Leading from that, access is essential. Employees should be able to enjoy regular access to the office. Create channels that help employees informally co-ordinate attendance. Encourage groups to make meet-up plans.
Find the people-centric employees who want to be at the office and socialise professionally. Provide ways to train their empathic and outreach skills, and give them channels to interact with other employees – both physically and virtually. This aspect is particularly important for new hires and interns, says Muller: "We've got people that interact with newcomers on a completely different level. They really have to engage with them, making them feel part of not only the team and the work, but also part of who we are as a company."
Fourth, stabilise your technology. Strydom advises: "The most difficult part can be picking your technologies and sticking to them. There is always a brighter, newer option every two months. From a technical perspective, it gets everybody very excited. But from a continuity perspective, it is disruptive and causes instability."
Finally, make sure your documentation truly serves the employee. The knowledge sources on your intranet are hugely important to educate people on business processes and resources. If they are confusing, dry or lack engaging qualities, it will drain the willpower of even the most enthusiastic employee.
But above all, realise that hybrid work is a cultural challenge unique to every organisation. To make it work, be prepared to try many things.
"It's a bit of trial and error," says Muller. "The thing is try to be as quick and flexible and agile as possible to make sure that work continues seamlessly. But the focus is still very much on the employees, how are they doing. Because if we lose the employee, we're losing a connection to culture."
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