These are very unusual times we are living - and working - in.
While many employees are once again settling into working from home, and all the family juggling and wi-fi arguments that that brings, there's been some reluctance at the big end of town to fully embrace hybrid work models.
That modern exemplar of innovation and creativity, Apple, has advised staff that they must work in the office at least three days a week, to preserve the "in-person collaboration" essential to its culture and future, despite the global pandemic. It has not pleased everyone. A group of employees petitioned the company to give all teams the option to work remotely, citing the "inclusivity, productivity and wellbeing benefits".
UNE Organisational Development Specialist, Dr Philip Harrell, says Australian companies are coming to terms with "a new world order" and workplaces are unlikely to find their natural levels for some time.
People now want to work on their own terms. They no longer want to have to clock in at 9 and leave at 5; that stuff has been ludicrous for a long time.
"A flexible workplace is here to stay, and for the companies that didn't embrace flexibility last year, they have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to it in recent weeks," Philip says. "At the same time, many companies are struggling with how to maintain their culture and training programs, most of which depend on face-to-face interaction.
"Companies are back using technology to their advantage, but team members are recognising that personal interaction brings an enormous amount of individual satisfaction, better understandings of your colleagues and mobilises staff around common goals. Many of the companies I work with as a leadership consultant are purposefully pausing their training programs until they can conduct them face-to-face."
Gone for good
When given the choice, employees are likely to want to decide for themselves the flexible arrangements that suit their individual circumstances. Philip believes this will create all sorts of new work arrangements, combining hot-desking and remote work in various ratios. But one thing's for sure, some work traditions are gone for good.
"People now want to work on their own terms," Philip says. "They no longer want to have to clock in at 9 and leave at 5; that stuff has been ludicrous for a long time. Employees now expect to have their needs accommodated in workplace practices. COVID has not shown us that we can all work from home. It has shown us that we can work more flexibly and still get the job done."
While the new work agreements that evolve will ultimately depend on the nature of the business, Philip offers the following advice, for managers and employees, on how to broker a new deal.
1. Consult. "Employees cannot have total choice around their work arrangements - every company needs to produce what it needs to produce - but staff now need input into how they work," Philip says. "Some will prefer to come into the office because they don't have a dedicated, quiet space at home; others will only want to come in for training or key meetings. Questions of productivity gains remain; it's not that simple to say that all staff are automatically more productive at home. It comes down to how individuals make the new work arrangements work."
2. Maintain communication. "Trust and the maintenance of trust is important in every work relationship, wherever staff are working," Philip says. "People working remotely can feel isolated, and we need to find authentic ways to compensate for the loss of personal interaction. But don't overdo it. Instead of flooding staff with motivational talks, managers should focus on listening to them and involving them in decision-making and planning. Giving people a voice has never been more important."
3. Make meetings count. "Online meetings must be relevant and, if possible, positive," Philip says. "It could start with ensuring that all staff in a Zoom meeting have their cameras on, so they can actually see and acknowledge one another and interact face-to-face. There can be a tendency to always get straight down to business during online meetings, but we need to try to make the computer interface as personable as possible.
"In every online meeting, do your best to be encouraging and supportive. It helps to maintain the culture of the organisation from a distance; it reinforces the values that are important to everyone. We all need that right now, on a family, team or organisational level."
4. Come back to the values of the organisation. "The values and culture of the organisation are essential to ongoing staff productivity and job satisfaction," says Philip. "We all need to feel a sense of belonging. Especially in a crisis, and in the absence of a formal rule book, employees need to understand what's truly important to the company or organisation.
"The successful businesses and workplaces of the future will undoubtedly be those that embrace flexible workplace practices while genuinely engaging and involving staff in the process."
