Why Hybrid Working is Failing!
Hybrid Working Warning! Is yours failing?
You surveyed your people. Listened to what they wanted. You set ground rules & initially it worked.
So, what’s gone wrong? Why the tears? Why are we seeing and hearing that so many horrible hybrids are emerging?
Some People Leaders are really worried about the effect these ‘out of control beasts’ are having on their business and, of course, their customers too.
Why is Hybrid working failing?
Back in 2021 Microsoft and Linkedin did a survey and reposted that 60% of organisations didn’t have a robust plan to move to hybrid. They were making it up as they went along.
Hybrid worked for some – but not for others. We’ve categorised 6 main pitfalls:
1. Organisations did not treat hybrid as the major transformation programme that it is. After all, moving from office to remote working was easy at the side of this, wasn’t it! Organisations who simply let it evolve are finding the results of their choices are causing them problems.
2. Organisations didn’t carry out a feasibility study so that they knew which options they need to match their unique business needs and customer demands and what to avoid. They used intuition, not data and now customer service is suffering
3. Leaders that had never implemented hybrid before made policies on-the-fly, some even did it without consulting employees.
Various part-office, part-home arrangements were thrust onto the workforces…..supervisors dictated the formula…..employees ended up with a working week they had no control over.
What they ended up with was just like the fixed full-time office schedule of old, but in the worker’s home twice a week.
What employees actually wanted was choice and to be trusted to do their best work!
4. Businesses did not consider the networking aspect of hybrid working. Such as, who needs to collaborate with whom to achieve their best work or how the informal networks can maintain a unique and successful culture. They simply let it evolve.
5. They didn’t thoroughly grasp the issue of moving and working from work to the office with seamless tech. Mechanisms have to be in place to ensure employees have the right home-working software and tools – and that they work properly. Some leaders still do not measure how well their technology is performing.
6. Finally, Leaders did not invest in their managers skill sets. They are pivotal to ensuring the hybrid working model is successful. Millions remain under skilled for managing the future of work.
These are the reason Hybrid Working is failing in some organisations.
So, what can these organisations do now?
If your business hasn’t initially put the energy, organisation and planning that I describe above, then now is the time.
Hybrid is the future of work. It represents the best of both worlds for many – and even if yours is working relatively well – you know full well that it still needs refining.
We are facing a winter of disruption – blazing inflation, gas prices, supply chain shocks, war, cost of living problems – don’t walk into that with a hybrid workforce that can’t outpace the challenges.
Our practitioners can support you through your next phase. Talk to us about our good value retainer where you can tap into our expertise and methodology over a 6 month or 1 year basis as your model evolves. We’ll keep you on track – simple as that.
Act Now for no more tears!
