The Future is Hybrid

Microsoft recently realised its first-annual Work Trend Index. Titled “The Next Great Disruption Is Hybrid Work — Are We Ready?” the report uncovers seven hybrid work trends every business leader must know as we enter a new era of work.

 The seven trends are:

• Flexible work is here to stay.

• Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call.

• High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce.

• Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized.

• Shrinking networks are endangering innovation.

• Authenticity will spur productivity and well-being.

• Talent is everywhere in a hybrid work world.

At karenferris.com my response to the question “Are We Ready?” is a resounding “No.”

1. Flexible work is here to stay

“The data is clear. Extreme flexibility and hybrid work will define the post-pandemic workplace.”

Leaders are not ready to lead the hybrid team.

Research by Terminal has revealed that most leaders are tackling the challenges of remote work for the first time, with 77% of leaders reporting that they’ve never managed a fully remote team, and 89% having never managed a partially remote team.

Solution: Leadership development to effectively lead the hybrid team

Read my article “How To Successfully Lead Your Hybrid Team.”

2. Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wakeup call

“Thirty-seven percent of the global workforce says their companies are asking too much of them at a time like this.”

Leaders are not equipped manage team and individual performance based on outcomes instead of keystrokes.

This is evident from the findings of a TOP10VPN investigation.

The global demand for employee monitoring software increased by 87% in April 2020 compared with the monthly average prior to the pandemic.

I have talked to employees who are placing post-it notes over their cameras as they believe their manager is watching and are placing vibrating toys on their keyboard to simulate keyboard strokes and to avoid the “Away” status being displayed on messaging platforms. Managers are questioning why employees are “away’ from their computer!

Solution: Leadership development to move from a position of command and control to one of empowerment, delegation and trust.

Read my article “Resilience - Leadership.”

3. High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce

“Self-assessed productivity has remained the same or higher for many employees over the past year, but at a human cost. Nearly one in five global survey respondents say their employer doesn’t care about their work-life balance. Fifty-four percent feel overworked. Thirty-nine percent feel exhausted.”

One cause of this is the increased number of virtual meetings and chats. The reason for the increase is that communication is unstructured and unplanned.

Leaders are conducted business in a virtual world as if it was in a physical one. Meetings have replaced the desk side chat. Employees are fatigued and at risk of burnout.

Leaders need to rethink. What warrants a meeting? What can be accomplished with online document collaboration? What are the simple tasks that can be handled by chat? What can be achieved with a one-on-one telephone call?

Solution: Rethink for a hybrid world. Leadership development to make the best use of communication and collaboration platforms and maximise performance.

Read my article “The Future Of Work Is The Future Of Leadership - Communication.”

4. Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized

“An overlooked demographic appears to be suffering right now: Gen Z. Sixty percent of this generation — those between the ages of 18 and 25 — say they are merely surviving or flat-out struggling.”

This generation could be the first to start their job in a remote environment. Their contributions are critical, and their experience will set expectations and attitudes towards work moving forward.

Leaders need to be cognisant that it could be hard for Gen Z to find a footing, since they are not experiencing the in-person onboarding, networking and training that would have taken place before the pandemic.

Solution: Leaders need to find new and innovative ways to onboard the remote worker to ensure that feel included, engaged and motivated.

5. Shrinking networks are endangering innovation.

“The pandemic-driven isolation people feel in their personal lives is also happening at work.”

The trend is clear - the shift to remote shrunk our networks. At the start of the pandemic, the analysis reveals an increase in interactions with our close networks, and a decrease in interactions with our distant networks.

As lockdown restrictions get eased the interactions with the distant networks increase again and so does innovation.

Solution: Leaders must find ways to build the social capital, cross-team collaboration, and spontaneous idea-sharing that’s been driving workplace innovation for decades.

6. Authenticity will spur productivity and well-being.

“Compared to one year ago, 39 percent of people say they’re more likely to be their full, authentic selves at work and 31 percent are less likely to feel embarrassed or ashamed when their home life shows up at work.”

Work became more human with the pandemic as we shared our home environments, the intrusive baby, the curious cat and the demanding dog.

This vulnerability we have shown could foster a workplace where people feel more comfortable to be themselves. A culture shift we have strived for a long time.

Solution: Leaders have to engender a hybrid environment in which every employee feels safe to be themselves. Vulnerability starts with the leader. When leaders share their feelings, challenges, and concerns, others will follow.

Read my article “The Future of Work Is The Future Of Leadership - Inclusivity and Psychological Safety.”

7. Talent is everywhere in a hybrid work world.

“A vast talent marketplace is one of the brightest outcomes from the shift to remote work.”

Whilst the ability to hire the best and brightest from around the world sounds positive, there is another side to the coin.

46% of survey respondents are planning to move to a new location this year, and 41% of the global workforce is likely to consider leaving their current employer within the next year.

Employers may have increased choice of whom they employ, but employees also have much greater choice of who they work for. They are no longer limited by location.

Employer reputation will be key. The way in which employers look after the physical and mental wellbeing of their employees is now a top consideration when choosing an employer.

According to a study conducted by the Virgin Health Miles/Workforce Magazine, a striking 87% of employees say they consider health and wellness packages when choosing an employer.

Solution: Get serious about looking after the mental wellbeing of your employees and you will attract and retain your talent.

Read my whitepaper “X I’s - The Workplace Mental Health Ecosystem.”

If not now, when?

The time is now for every organisation and those within it to shift the mental model and embrace extreme flexibility.

This is time for employee empowerment; employee wellbeing as a priority; realization that work is what we do and not where we go; and developing leaders who lead with empathy, compassion and care.