Whilst there may appear to be significant short term cost savings for enabling your teams to work from home, in my mind there are undoubtedly more extensive costs associated.
Working with a variety of clients across a variety of industries and surveying what is important to the employees, I think it’s clear that post the pandemic, employers need to embrace the “Hybrid” work model.
Employees acknowledge the convenience of rolling out of bed and being ready to stay their day (still in their PJ bottoms and slippers), particularly on a cold dreary Monday, however they do miss the people interaction and company culture.
It’s so much easier working with people who you feel like you know. Having a quick chat in the kitchen with a colleague as you make yourself a cuppa, you just tend to find out a little about them as a human. What they did on the weekend, how old are their kids, what’s their dogs name? There is definitely a positive link to peoples’ performance when they feel like they are working as part of “something”.
For many people who have either not been allowed back into their offices or have chosen not to return, I think they have underestimated monotonous slum they have fallen into. If you have been working from home for the past 2 years, not socialising in the office, not being part of the office banter, not getting up and getting dressed every day, one day just rolls into another and it simply becomes un-motivating….sometimes without even realising.
Most people have placed a huge importance on “teams and Zoom” meetings, however you tend to log into the call for a purpose and miss the general social interaction along the way.
Post Covid, the challenge for employers is to get the balance right. How do employers please the people that want to work from home, yet still create a company culture that is aligned to their brand. How do employers entice prospective employees to join their organisation? It’s about creating that right balance. Encouraging your teams to come into the office 2-3 days per week, yet empowering them with the flexibility to work from home to suit their lifestyle is the key.
Employers need to define a new future work environment that doesn’t necessarily just make do with the new norm but that makes it better! Employers need to work harder than ever to create a positive work culture. They need to focus on providing flexibility, empowering staff and creating company culture that people still want to be a part of.
