Is hybrid working here to stay
Morning! At 09:30 this morning, the Office for National Statistics is publishing a report entitled, Is hybrid working here to stay?. So, is it? A paragraph max, please. Make it nice and punchy.
11 responses from the Newspage community
Star Quote
"The genie is out of the bottle. And no matter how hard some corporates try, there is no stuffing it back in. Workers have had a taste of hybrid and remote working and are now demanding it. This, combined with a shortage of skilled staff in many sectors, means that the revolution is here to stay. Even in the legal sector that is historically very traditional, we see the winds of change sweeping through. Could this be the levelling up solution the Government is looking for? And could this be the reversal of the historic movement of workers from the country to cities? Increased hybrid and remote working may also go a long way to finally equalising women's pay with their male colleagues. It will also simplify the balancing act that is family life and work."
Star Quote
"Hybrid working is definitely here to stay. Wherever they can, most of my clients are running with a hybrid model. One of them, which is a software business, told me recently that they can’t attract any senior software developers unless they offer hybrid and flexible working. We need to accept this is the way forward and businesses need to think about the longer term implications. Are there issues around health and safety for people without access to a home office setup? What about IT and data security? How do we build relationships between employees who rarely see each other face to face? How do we bring in and train new talent such as apprentices and graduates if there’s no one in the office for them to learn from? And how do we develop managers’ skills so they focus on the outputs, not the time spent working on them, and trust their employees to work in this way?"
Star Quote
"Presenteeism at the office is out and better productivity through hybrid work is in. The full spectrum of people, from graduates to working parents, have seen the benefits of hybrid working and don't want to go back to the office full time. Let's trust our employees to get on with their work and their lives. We all then feel like we are living in balance, and are respected and trusted. Companies that try to water down hybrid working will likely be washed away."
"Hybrid working is 1000% here to stay. It's one of the main things candidates are looking for when they move jobs, and given the candidate-starved UK jobs market, employers have had to accept it if they want to continue to attract the best talent. We don't envisage this changing now as a large number of our clients now have this model set it stone. It seems most people now want a mix of home and office working, and this is unlikely to change."
"Hybrid working is here to stay. What's not here to stay are a culture of poor communications and companies that refuse to understand and accept this now immutable fact. Companies need to be intentional in their communication and obsessed with building relationships with their workforces."
"For more and more employees and job seekers, hybrid working isn’t a ‘want’, it’s a demand. We’re seeing more and more candidates come to us with the specific request that they are only interested in being considered for work from home jobs or, at the very least, jobs that offer a hybrid arrangement. Things were moving this way anyway given new technologies, but the Covid-19 pandemic brought the future forward."
"It’s about time all the out-of-touch dinosaurs woke up and smelt the coffee. Hybrid working is here and it's here to stay. For many people hybrid working is not a luxury, but actually necessary for them to be able to work. Think people with disabilities who can’t travel into an office easily, people juggling caring responsibilities, people juggling multiple jobs to create an income. No-one wants to be out of work and hybrid working gives people that opportunity who otherwise might not be able to. It is definitely not about faffing around and eating cheese as suggested by the Prime Minister."
"Hybrid working is definitely here to stay. The focus now needs to be on how companies manage the dynamic between “those who can, and those who can’t”. Remember there are millions of people in sectors such as manufacturing and engineering that can’t work from home, and we cannot and should not forget these individuals. The role of management is to ensure equality and equity for these employees as well, as if not, engagement and productivity levels will continue to suffer as a result of a “them and us” culture."
"Hybrid working has been around for many years in lots of roles and I'm sure it will remain for those continuing to hit their organisations' expectations. For many companies, though, it just isn't viable. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 18 months. We have an economy that is walking a tight rope so employees may no longer be able to demand anything. I think most, in the not too distant future, will simply be grateful to have a job sadly."
"People are not going to give up the flexibility and improved work / life balance and 'freedom' that they discovered during the pandemic. They've had a glimpse and reminder that there's more to life than just the grind and a hybrid model has been shown to work. Businesses that close in the city will move elsewhere to meet the demand that will grow locally."
"Hybrid working is the new normal. Employees are now demanding the flexibility that it brings. They’ve experienced the difference that a commute-free day can make to their family, social life and mental health. The pressure is now on leaders to be inclusive in their approach, both supporting remote workers and those in the office. Employees want to feel inspired and motivated. They want autonomy, but also want to feel connected. Organisations that equip their management teams to successfully navigate the new hybrid world will excel. Those who don’t will be waving goodbye to their talent."