How is hybrid working playing out in your organisation? A resounding success or throwing up a few challenges?
While many employees seem to report appreciating the flexibility of hybrid working, that’s not the case for everyone. Some employees are experiencing increased social isolation, greater technological demands and overworking. As for the employer, we are seeing the emergence of different managerial challenges with a hybrid workforce for organisations to navigate, with common concerns around challenges to collaboration and social connection.
WTW research shows that stress, burnout and mental health issues is the top concern for 81% of employers closely followed by lack of social interaction at 53%.1 If hybrid working is to be a success and good for mental health and productivity then organisations will need to maintain the increasing focus on health and wellbeing we have seen over recent years and ensure that this is embedded at strategic level, with emphasis on creating a healthy working environment which works for all. The question then becomes how that is done?
A good place to start is with the framework for hybrid working at your organisation. Hybrid working is “a form of flexible working where workers spend some of their time working remotely…and some in the employer’s workspace.”2 Whilst hybrid is flexible, there needs to be some structure to it, setting out expectations and responsibilities at team level. If challenges are arising, ask yourself whether the organisational framework is clear, whether expectations have been communicated at local level and whether there was sufficient consultation with the workforce on the hybrid model prior to implementation.
The hybrid working environment places increasing demands on line managers whose jobs have become more complex due to managing delivery requirements of the job alongside employees now having increased flexibility. Managing successfully in a hybrid world requires enhanced skills which include:
Hybrid working aside, one of the main causes of workplace stress is frequently cited as lack of management support3, yet many managers and leaders fall into position with very little in the way of leadership training. Managing in a hybrid world adds another dimension to leadership, and therefore training and supporting people managers to develop their leadership skills to build trusted hybrid teams where employees can flourish and stay mentally well can only be in the interests of all to achieve success.
WTW supports organisations in creating psychologically healthy and safe workplaces via a range of consultancy and training solutions. For further information please get in touch.
1 https://www.wtw-healthandbenefits.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/BTS-2021-UK-summary-report-v2-041121.pdf
2 https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/hybrid-working-practical-guidance-2021_tcm18-103709.pdf
3 https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress.pdf