Three Ways to Make Hybrid Work Smoother for Everyone

The hybrid workplace isn’t working as smoothly as everyone had hoped. Many workers are still hesitant about returning to the office, whether out of health concerns or the realization of just how much time they give up to commute. And many employers are growing impatient with that sentiment.

Proximity bias is growing and as layoffs loom at some firms, the hybrid employee is finding themselves at a higher level of risk.

So how do we make things better? Microsoft, in a new report entitled “Empowering your workforce in economic uncertainty,” checks in with 20,000 employers and employees in 11 countries and says there’s a chasm between the perceptions of managers and workers on the state of hybrid.

“People are working more than ever, while leaders—already worried by signals of macroeconomic decline—are questioning if their employees are being productive,” the report reads.

Of the people surveyed, 87% of employees say they’re productive at work these days, but 85% of leaders tend to disagree, saying the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging for them to have confidence that workers are being productive.

The problem, says the report, is that many managers are unsure of how to verify productivity, since the cues they used to rely upon, such as seeing someone in a conference room or hammering away on their keyboard, have been removed in a hybrid world. And as employees work to “prove” they’re being productive, that’s creating a rift.

“Productivity paranoia risks making hybrid work unsustainable,” the report says. “Leaders need to pivot from worrying about whether their people are working enough to helping them focus on the work that’s most important. 81% of employees say it’s important that their managers help them prioritize their workload, but less than a third (31%) say their managers have ever given clear guidance during one-on-ones.”

Nearly as important is the mental gymnastics of workers, who are assessing daily whether they’re growing or stagnating in their jobs. A lack of growth is one of the key reasons for the Great Resignation, which makes it critical, says Microsoft, to re-train and re-recruit the existing workforce.

By prioritizing learning and development, companies are more likely to retain workers who might otherwise leave. More than three-quarters (76%) of workers said they’d stay at their company longer if they could benefit more from learning and development support. And by adding these skills to its workers arsenal, the company itself could see notable growth.

“Across the workforce, employees are hungry for growth opportunities: 56% of employees and 68% of business decision makers say there are not enough growth opportunities in their company to make them want to stay long term,” the report reads. “And many employees believe that learning requires leaving...making it easier for employees to find their next growth opportunity inside the company seems obvious, but the data shows organizations aren’t prioritizing internal mobility enough.”

How big of a draw is it to offer learning opportunities? Employees say these chances to grow are the #1 driver of a great work culture. Compare that to 2019, when it ranked ninth.

When it comes to luring employees back to the office, though, the real secret is other people. After two years of being isolated, many workers actually miss seeing their coworkers in person. A Zoom call doesn’t replace watercooler chatter, after all.

Rather than leaning into this, though, several companies are using corporate policies to force people back, which creates resentment from both workers and managers. Some 73% of employees and 78% of business decision makers say they need a better reason to go in than just company expectations (That’s especially true among younger workers, who hope to use the office to connect to senior leadership and coworkers).

“Organizations that fail to use in-person time to rebuild and strengthen team bonds may risk losing out on attracting and retaining top talent,” according to the report. “A better way to bring people back together to engage and energize them. Connecting with colleagues is a key motivation for working in person. 84% of employees would be motivated by the promise of socializing with co-workers, while 85% would be motivated by rebuilding team bonds.”

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Other Topics

Companies