Making Hybrid WORK: How to make working anywhere work for everyone

Posted on 11 July, 2022

Hybrid working has boomed in popularity during the pandemic, and this way of working has the potential to dramatically shift and positively influence the way we work.

Hybrid working provides people with access to a more human way of working, putting them in a position to balance both work and life commitments.  However, it is important for us to understand that not everyone is on the same page when it comes to hybrid working.

Hybrid working simply may not work for some jobs and businesses.  This may be due to the nature of the work they perform or that some business leaders may not see hybrid working as a model that suits the culture of their organisation.

As hybrid work becomes more mainstream it is important to consider how it can work for everyone.

So, what exactly is hybrid work?

There is no one size fits all when it comes to hybrid working, and its definition will be influenced significantly by your own personal experiences, and ultimately, the needs and requirements of your organisation. However, one thing is for sure—people hold very strong views on hybrid working, and these views are often based on their own personal experiences and preferences around how they work.

Telstra adopted a ‘work anywhere’ policy in the early stages of the pandemic and recently published a definition of hybrid work as:

“Working in the office when it suits or at home when it suits. Or wherever you can connect”.

This definition of hybrid work was no doubt carefully considered in the operational context of Telstra’s overarching business model as a telecommunications company.  It works for them.  But it may not work for everyone.

We have seen this play out recently with Elon Musk sending a memo to Tesla staff titled “Remote work is no longer acceptable”—making it clear that he wanted employees to return to the office.  Tesla made a decision that hybrid working was not a model that worked for their business; and, as much as this decision has been scrutinised, Tesla’s stance on hybrid work is clean cut.  This enables people to make a choice.

Organisations need to develop hybrid and flexible working policies that suit the unique needs and requirements of their businesses.  And then communicate them clearly. By taking this approach, you set your organisation and people up for success when it comes to understanding the expectations around how hybrid work will work for your business.

How to make hybrid work a success

For hybrid work to be a success in any organisation, it needs to be underpinned by a culture and leadership approach that signals to employees in the simplest of terms that:

1. We see and respect you as an adult with a life outside of work
2. We pay you to do a job here to the best of your ability; and
3. We trust you will do that job well.

We knew before the pandemic that the way we were working was not serving us well, and that a more human solution was needed.  Hybrid work provides both employers and employees the opportunity to create a more productive and human-centric model of work.

So, how do we do this?  It is important to make hybrid work for everyone—both employers and employees.  If we are not able to achieve this with hybrid work, then we risk regressing to more traditional models of work that we know are not as effective.  Everyone has a role to play in making hybrid WORK.

Three key steps for employers and employees on how to make hybrid WORK

Employers

1. Be cautious about dismissing hybrid work entirely, even if you hold the view that it may not work for your business. This approach will likely see you unable to retain talented people in the current market—being inflexible will cost your business.
2. Be clear about hybrid work and how you want it to operate. Set clear expectations and policy guidance around hybrid work. How do you want hybrid to work for your business?  You can structure this in the way that best reflects the unique requirements of your business.
3. Upskill your management in how to manage a hybrid workplace. The management and leadership skills required to lead hybrid workers is different. It relies heavily on leaders having strong communication, coaching and leadership capabilities.

Employees

1. Communicate with your employer/manager. Be clear about your schedule of work and time you will be available and how you plan to communicate with your manager. If things aren’t working well for you, communicate early, openly and clearly about what isn’t working and solutions you are prepared to put forward to resolve issues.
2. Focus on your productivity and output. Your employer/manager is putting trust in you to work in a way that is self-managed and gives you the flexibility to deliver your work. Understand this trust can be quickly eroded if you don’t keep up your end of the deal.
3. Keep your health and fitness routines. Hybrid work makes it easy, particularly for passionate and dedicated people to overwork. Keep up a routine that enables you to take regular breaks away from your workstation (as you would if you were in the office). Self-discipline in these areas will assist you to maintain productivity that is sustainable in the long-term and avoids burnout, which we know is currently a major risk factor for many people.

Want to make hybrid WORK for your organisation? Download Humanify HR Consulting’s A guide: how to make hybrid WORK.