Employee Wellbeing In A Hybrid Workplace

Overview

“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister in the mid-1940s. He was Britain’s PM when World War II broke out and persuaded the nation to fight against a Nazi occupation, knowing well that it would create a new normal, which was not rosy for the British.

What is remarkable about Churchill’s quote is that it makes one look for a silver lining during a crisis and discovers opportunities that were not there before. When Churchill said the above, he was apparently referring to the coming together of an unlikely trio, Yalta, and the alliance they forged between himself, Stalin, and Roosevelt. Later it led to the formation of the United Nations. It is an example of how they created an opportunity for a better world in the middle of a crisis.

We all know the COVID-19 pandemic created havoc and put the entire globe under lockdown. Since then, the pandemic has brought a new normal in almost all spheres of life. Workplaces globally are experiencing a shift to hybrid work. The hybrid model involves working from the office and choosing remote work.

Whether we like it or hate it, the hybrid working model has become the new work culture in the post-pandemic world. There are only two ways-either you get on board or be left behind.

When organizations first started working in the hybrid model, their primary concern was how to promote and maintain a company culture rooted in the company’s values. However, in the post-pandemic hybrid scenario, now employee well-being has come to the fore.

So, is there an opportunity for HR in this crisis?

Employee Well-Being And The Factors Influencing It

As per a study conducted by Gartner, “wellness” is the new metric North American companies are using to assess their employees’ mental, physical, and financial well-being. Hence, it’s clear that wellness is the word in hybrid work culture. Surveys show that an investment in employee well-being can increase employee performance, retention, and success in the hybrid work mode.

An employee’s mental, physical, emotional, and financial health is called well-being. It is influenced by many factors, their relationships with colleagues and managers, the tools and resources made available to them, and how decisions are made in the organization.

Before the pandemic and lockdown, employees had several options for managing work stress, including water cooler discussions and daily commutes. However, hybrid work culture has reduced such opportunities. In the new normal, leaders are forced to create new initiatives to create new options for their employees to reduce stress.

Instead of grappling with the overwhelming transformation to the hybrid model, HR should see the opportunity and develop innovative solutions to address employees’ present-day needs.

No Old Wine In The New Bottle

Repeating the old practices that worked in the office and amending them to the remote work environment is not a workable solution. In a hybrid work culture, repetition has no space. New challenges need new solutions, and to function in today’s environment, HR should adapt and build processes that meet the current needs.

Create A Wellness Strategy 

In developing wellness strategy for the new hybrid workforce, managers should begin with their people. Talk to them. Find out their hopes, worries, and levels of engagement. Ask them what they want and what they do not wish.

With these vital insights, HR can create a roadmap and ensure a flexible workforce wellness plan. Routinely check with your workforce on the state of their well-being and the path to transformation. Since hybrid work is a new landscape for everyone, organizations worldwide are learning as they go. The way to win the game is to take care of the bedrock of your organization – people – physically, emotionally, and financially.

To enable organizations to redefine employee well-being in the hybrid work model, the points below are of significance.

Train Your Leaders 

During the pandemic, many discovered that even seasoned leaders could not manage a remote workforce and keep them engaged. Hence, managers and leaders must be trained to support employees’ mental health and well-being. Leadership training should emphasize innovative ways to keep employees engaged and healthy.

Streamline Communication

One factor we noticed during the pandemic was the overwhelming communication in which the employers wanted to keep the workforce happy and maintain productivity. However, it had backfired in many instances. Hence there should be a streamlined communication that will allow managers to handle both in-office and remote workers seamlessly. Having the proper tools, strategy and resources will ensure clear communication and instill confidence in employees.

Gather Feedback

Most employee benefits are created with the workforce that works from the office in mind. For example, subsidized lunch, health checks, and similar ones. But with remote work, these benefits need to be adapted to suit remote employees, too. Else, there are chances that they will feel left out, affecting productivity and increasing attrition. Management should gather employees’ input through surveys or encourage them to speak up to ensure their input is incorporated.

Build Trust

No organization can create a culture of well-being without developing trust with its employees. Show genuine concern for employees. Practice empathy and encourage a system that prioritizes employee well-being. Be graceful, listen and lead with compassion.

Similarly, staff working from the office and remotely should be treated equally. Ensure everyone gets the same respect, support, opportunity, and information sharing.

Meeting With A Purpose

Without metrics to measure productivity and engagement, it’s easy to fall into the trap of conducting meetings and measuring the employees by their presence. In a hybrid work culture, this doesn’t work, and managers should create a meeting culture focused on preparation and purpose. This helps to reduce the exhaustion employees undergo due to too many meetings. While scheduling meetings, inform the agenda in advance and, after the meeting, publish the minutes. Make it a point to encourage those who could not attend the meeting to review the minutes.

Clear And Concise KPIs

In a hybrid work culture, it’s not easy to understand expectations and communicate work priorities. There is a high chance that employees might start treating every task as a high priority and lose the larger picture. HR leaders should create a process that mentions the objectives and key result areas. It will help employees to say no to low-priority tasks and avoid spending more time on non-productive aspects. Also, a hybrid work culture will throw specific challenges in how an employee manages his home. On such occasions, HR leaders should create a culture of mutual support that helps with their well-being and the limits they can stretch.

Conclusion

The hybrid workforce is in the process of co-creating the future of work. They can be considered the pioneers of the world’s first digital workforce by forming guidelines, behaviors, and best practices. This is a responsibility as well as an opportunity. Instead of relying on assumptions, take this opportunity to follow a scientific path. Putting up longer hours does not mean better work. Employees need their leisure time and breaks. Leaders should foster an environment where taking time off is encouraged as a sign of being wise rather than lazy. Well-being should not end up as a mere lip service; instead, it should be based on best practices.