There are more signs that the economy is returning to a more normal state. Several major corporations have stated that they will begin bringing employees back into offices soon. In many cases, however, it will not be the same. Ford, Citigroup, Target, and Microsoft are considering a hybrid model with a mix of on-site and remote employees.
Most companies found it difficult to go remote overnight when the pandemic began, but embracing a hybrid workplace may be even more complicated, according to Brian Kropp, chief of human-resources research at Gartner, a research and advisory firm.
“Everyone has a much more similar experience when they work remotely. However, in a hybrid world, some people will work 40 hours a week, and others will work four hours a week. That unevenness and variability will be extremely difficult to manage, according to Kropp.
Check Out: How To Start An Ecommerce Business (2021)
Despite this, 95% of the companies surveyed by Gartner are planning to implement hybrid work, partly because employees want it and somewhat because it saves money.
According to Cali Williams Yost, a business strategist specializing in flexible work processes, hybrid companies will require a smaller footprint with fewer individual workspaces. “There will be more collaborative spaces,” she stated. “I believe there will be time for uninterrupted, focused work, but you will have to set aside time for it. You’ll have to make time for them.”
“Leaders have to develop new capabilities and competencies on how to make sure that they’re running an equitable hybrid team, ensuring that they’re equally helping people develop, get promoted in the organization and that they’re not playing favoritism based on who’s int,” said Harvard business professor Tsedal Neeley.
Additional training and careful monitoring of employee pay and promotions may be required to overcome any potential in-person bias.
According to Bhushan Sethi, managers can model that it’s OK not to be in the office by working remotely, a joint global leader for people and organization at business services firm PwC.
“If I say you have a choice to return, but it skews more heavily toward leaders being in the office, employees will feel compelled to return,” he said.
Read: Businesses Can Now Sell New Products On Facebook Marketplace.
The Marketplace is on a mission.
We believe that Main Street is just as important as Wall Street, that economic news is more relevant and authentic when told through human stories, and that a dash of humor can help enliven topics that might otherwise be boring.. Dull, to say the least.
We’re on a mission to improve the country’s economic intelligence through the signature style that only Marketplace can deliver—but we’re not doing it alone. We rely on you, the listener and reader, to keep this public service free and open to all. Will you join us in our mission right now?
About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group works with business and societal leaders to address their most pressing challenges and seize their most promising opportunities. When it was founded in 1963, BCG was a forerunner in the field of business strategy. Today, we collaborate closely with clients to adopt a transformational approach that benefits all stakeholders, enabling businesses to grow, gain a sustainable competitive advantage, and positively impact society.
Our global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise, as well as a variety of viewpoints that challenge the status quo and spark change. BCG offers cutting-edge management consulting, technology, design, and corporate and digital ventures as a means of delivering solutions. We collaborate in a unique way across the firm and at all levels of the client organization, all to assist our clients in thriving and making the world a better place.