Two years of the pandemic have profoundly transformed the organization and the perception of work. Working in a hybrid mode, sometimes in person, sometimes remotely, has become the norm for many employees who are now accustomed to working from home.
As the health crisis finally seems to be taking its toll, the Cigref (network of major French companies and public administrations) assures, in its report on new labor organizations (November 2021) in partnership with Numeum, there will be no No return to previous work patterns possible.
To fully grasp this major shift in the way work is organized towards a hybrid model, it is necessary to look at the following factors: The challenges of work hybridisation for the company and the teams, and The strong rise in the popularity of remote work after two years of a health crisis.
Working remotely, in person… the inevitable hybridization of work modes
A few years before the pandemic, remote work was beginning to be implemented – albeit sparingly – within companies, especially those with a multi-site structure…
The health crisis has suddenly propelled organizations into a new era with one The explosion of teleworking in many sectors of activity, marking a strong shift in working methods towards a hybrid model which no longer seems able to be called into question.
Teleworking, often imposed during the first lockdown in spring 2020, and then consolidated over the two years that followed, was generally a positive experience for employees whose tasks could be carried out from home.
According to one study on the teleworking of executives published in January 2022 by Apec in collaboration with Anact, More than 80% of workers who benefited from teleworking during the lockdown want this practice to continue after the crisis..
Many organizations have indeed received the message well, since Business agreements dedicated to teleworking increased by 67% in 2020 Compared to 2019, according to the same report. It should be noted that remote work, now indispensable for employees, also has some advantages for companies… although the associated risks should not be ignored.
Teleworking and remote work are now indispensable
« More than 80% of workers who benefited from teleworking during the lockdown want this practice to continue after the crisis »
Apec-Anact study on teleworking of executives (January 2022)
The benefits of teleworking for employees
Whether conducted internally or by institutes, the various surveys and studies conducted to date show a strong appetite among employees for teleworking.
According to the study « Decoding Global Ways of Working » conducted in April 2021 by Cadremploi and the Boston Consulting Group, 78% of French talent favor a hybrid work model (which corroborates the findings of the Apec-Anact study cited above).
Already appreciated by teams working from multiple locations, teleworking offers many benefits to remote employees:
- The reduction of transport times generates less fatigue and allows the working time to be optimized,
- Teleworking, especially at home, promotes concentration and makes it easier to Execution of substantive missions,
- The democratization of videoconferencing improves the collaboration of the teams inter-sites regardless of distance,
- The employees appreciate it autonomy and flexibility which are granted to them,
- Remote work is beneficial the balance between professional and private life.
So that’s it a new framework of trust the relationship that is established between the company and its employees… who are not the only ones to find interest in teleworking!
The benefits of remote work for the company
Remote work promotes the effectiveness of employees
While some companies may have been reluctant to implement teleworking, it is a fact that in some environments remote work improves employee productivity.
Thus, 82% of employees working in a hybrid mode declare themselves to be just as or even more productive than before. The study «New Normal: Defining the New Era of Work» published in September 2021 by the Adecco Group.
Remote work allows workspaces to be optimized
The fact that part of the teams work remotely allows, in certain business sectors, to reduce the number of offices and therefore generate savings in terms of real estate costs… which could, for example, be invested in the redistribution of space to promote collaboration in person (see also our article on The layout of the new work spaces).
Remote work makes the company more attractive
To attract and retain talent – especially executives, but also the new generation – companies must now offer hybrid work arrangements. Many companies are already granting their employees 2 or 3 days of teleworking per week, helping to promote a work-life balance.
The risks and challenges of working remotely
Every medal has its reverse side, and remote work also entails certain risks that companies have sometimes discovered during the pandemic:
- teams that are less stimulated and suffer from a lack of informal exchanges,
- the culture and commitment to the company that risk being lost over time,
- the phenomenon – linked to the quest for meaning – of « big resignation » which risks to become more widespread…
Working from home in particular can lead to a certain level of exhaustion and increase stress levels. psychosocial risks (RPS): hyper-connectivity, social isolation, loss of meaning at work, burn-out, etc.
These risks highlight The importance of balancing working time between remote and in-person work and to frame the modalities for sustainably anchoring the hybridization of work. They also recall the need to define it collectively the meaning and values of the company and to be vigilant about «symmetry of attention» between clients and employees.
These points of vigilance remind us – once again – The fundamental role of the manager who, in this hybrid context, must become one manager leader serving his team by making employees more autonomous, responsible and committed, and therefore more effective.
This win-win collaboration explains that 91% of teleworkers' managers are in favor of continuing teleworking According to the Apec-Anact study cited at the beginning of the article.
After two years of trial and error, hybrid working patterns are becoming the norm, with employees working both in person and remotely. In this now well-established context, it is time to transition to working remotely in a structural manner in order to successfully implement a hybrid work organization at scale. To go further, discover our Practical advice on hybrid working !
Short training course «Hybrid Team Management»
Methods and tools to animate hybrid teams
Case study: Adapting management and team-building practices to hybrid work
In a context of hybridization of work modes between face-to-face and remote work, talenco Keolis trained managers in new practices in management and team leadership in a hybrid mode.
