The pandemic shook and dislodged the decades-old 9 am to 5 pm routine, but the world was quick to adapt to ‘Virtual’. As organisations call employees back to the workplace, the imminent question is, “Can we return to the pre-pandemic normal, or will we find synergistic ways to navigate the hybrid work model?”

The Tectonic Shift and what it means

For Employees, it is Freedom and Flexibility

The pandemic has changed how work and life collide, allowing employees to draw new boundaries, and making room for personal needs without hampering productivity.

Now more than ever, employees are vocal about working on their terms and value the freedom to pursue other things in life. The freedom to work from anywhere, not just home and the flexibility of timing are the most significant shifts for the employees. 

A return-to-office scenario raises the obvious question, “I have gotten comfortable in this new style of working, having adjusted some aspects of my life to suit the shift. I am also able to deliver work output. So why are you forcing me to come back and disturb the newfound balance?”

For Employers, it is Increased Productivity and Reduced Operational Costs

While organisations enjoy increased productivity, reduced operational costs, and a better talent pool, they understand that work from home has impacted a few things beyond work delivery like belongingness, relationships, collaboration, and innovation which are essential in the long term. 

The delicate tight rope walk that organisations need to practice is incorporating these missing essential elements and accommodating the employees’ need for flexibility. 

These are the shifts that birthed the hybrid model. Organisations and the workforce alike are trying to master this transition.

The Challenges of the Hybrid Model

The big question is, “What is the right model of hybrid, and more importantly, what will have to be done differently to make hybrid successful?”

The right model is unique to every organisation and needs to be determined based on individual and organisation needs with some experimentation. Instead of carving anything in stone, it is better to start with a model that entails two-three days in office, and see how that fares. As the model progresses, being open to feedback and listening closely to all stakeholders will help iterate the model to an eventually stable one.

Redesigning 9-5 to make hybrid work a success

One framework that can be used is to look at the change through the lens of Work, Workerand Work Environment. Go deep into each aspect to figure out for each of these what used to happen pre-covid, what happened during full virtual and what needs to happen during hybrid. Ideally, anticipate what is likely to change or be different from what it used to be and plan accordingly. 

I see many organisations and managers in the mode of “Let’s figure out when issues happen,” but perhaps a better approach is to think through potential scenarios in each of these dimensions and put some directions in place. 

For example, what will be different about Work or how work gets done?  If a project requires a lot of brainstorming, it may require a conscious direction to tell managers and team members to use the in-office time for active brainstorming. Another aspect of work could be checking work status – typically, it used to happen as a stand-up meeting pre-Covid, then it was an all-virtual meet. But now, if some people are in the office and others are virtual, what’s the right way to run these, ensuring everyone feels included? The exact solution could vary, but it’s about anticipating changes and preparing appropriately for the same.

Similarly, if you take the ‘Worker’, there is an increased expectation of flexibility in the hybrid model. So, can the core working hours where we expect employees to be in the office be a shorter window, say 11.30 to 5 instead of the traditional 9 to 5 or 10 to 6? And organisations can stop tracking In-Out time and increase rigour on work output measurement so that employees have genuine flexibility to work based on their schedules and preferences. 

The work environment also needs a rethink. If the workplace is a primary place of collaboration and innovation, then the work setting should facilitate those aspects by having more collaborative or hangout spaces.

Similarly, many more fixes can be unearthed by looking at these three aspects of Work, Worker and Work Environment. 

Accommodate the new, for there’s no going back

One thing is for sure; Manager and Management overhead is likely to be higher in the hybrid model, especially around communication, performance management and even day-to-day work management. Inclusivity and sensitivity would need to be looked at from a new lens - a simple communication that would have happened as an across-the-desk discussion now needs to be documented and sent to all concerned. Otherwise, it may be perceived as proximity bias since some people will get to know things faster and better than others, causing disgruntlement.         

These were just a few scenarios, but the overall theme is Experimentation. Be open and anticipate what needs to be done differently so that management and managers can be trained to demonstrate new behaviours and capabilities for the new reality. 

All said and done; it’s exciting days ahead!