For some companies, "working from home" was still a dirty word in February 2020. But in March 2020, all employees for whom this was possible were suddenly working from home. Covid-19 turned our thinking about the way we work on its head. But how is the world of work evolving now? One thing is clear: hybrid working is here to stay!
Will we all be ordered back to the office 1.5 years later? Or will hybrid working actually become the norm? What are the success factors, challenges and opportunities? Many companies are asking themselves these questions and are navigating the waters of hybrid working without a sense of direction. To provide clarity, Novu Office, the University of St. Gallen and HR Campus have jointly developed the Hybrid Work Compass. This is based on over 150 interviews with managers and a survey of 841 HR experts. The study clearly shows that hybrid working models will shape the future of our everyday working lives.
Specifically, the following findings were the most exciting for us:
Companies with a high proportion of employees who are unable to work remotely generally struggle with hybrid working models. However, companies that find creative solutions for employees who cannot work remotely are exemplary. One example is a manufacturing company that allows its shift workers to organise their work as they wish.
Percentage of companies moving towards hybrid working models:
Very few have actually implemented hybrid working models yet.
Only 17% of companies already have hybrid working models in place. That seems a surprisingly small proportion 1.5 years after the start of Covid-19.
Implementation of hybrid working models has a positive effect on employee motivation and geographical reach for candidates.
It seems that there are benefits that were not previously recognised.
Nothing works without the support of the management level.
In 46% of companies, the management level is responsible for the implementation of hybrid working models. In other words, they are the key.
Proportion of companies where implementation has already started:
For HR departments, this means in concrete terms:
- Start looking into the topic or implementing hybrid working models. Otherwise, it can become a competitive disadvantage in the search for candidates.
- Win over management by understanding their concerns and then emphasising the benefits. Show what will happen if nothing is done and back it up with numbers.
- Get creative when it comes to solutions for employees for whom working from home is not possible and don't penalise those for whom it is.
- Think one step further: give managers and teams concrete tools to ensure that everyone feels comfortable.
Are you interested in the detailed study? We will be happy to send you the full study on request and look forward to hearing from you.
Author
Anja Buser
HR Strategies
Anja Buser likes to deal with topics that move people. After realising together with Novu Office that companies did not yet have an answer to models for hybrid working, they quickly set up a survey. It was important to her that the questions were representative and not based on gut feeling.