This week, Gartner published a report indicating that employees are 12 percent more likely to leave a business without clear hybrid-working considerations.
Caitlin Duffy, Director of Gartner's HR practice, explained that suitable hybrid work avenues are becoming the norm. Workers expect this, adding that "today's hybrid work models lack the informal channels for absorbing norms present in an office setting."
Duffy also added:
As organizations create more formalized hybrid work models, HR leaders can reduce work friction and increase engagement by establishing and communicating new norms more intentionally and explicitly.
Gartner's Key to Remote Working Success
Any workplace environment, whether frontline, on-site, hybrid, or remote, requires specific approaches and unique challenges.
With hybrid workplace operations separating employees and limiting face-to-face interactions, employers must manage engagement and connection between workers and their colleagues.
Gartner's research finds that visibility, flexibility, and connectivity drives success in demanding hybrid work environments. The firm organized a survey between October 2022 to November 2022 conducted across 3,524 employees to support its research.
Visibility
Scheduling meetings can provide a space for a workforce to gain company-wide visibility and share work preferences. Keeping workers up-to-date and informed about their business's standing in hybrid environments can improve employee satisfaction.
Caitlin Duffy also added that "work preferences evolve over time and with team staffing changes," meaning that workplaces should organize regular meetings for sharing work preferences, not as a "static, one-time occurrence."
Moreover, Duffy said:
Progressive organizations build dedicated time to revisit and update work preferences into everyone’s schedule, and any newly created teams or projects begin with a review of all members’ work preferences.
Gartner's research claims hybrid workforces that share work preferences undergo an eight percent higher engagement, a seven percent higher sense of inclusion, and a five percent higher performance rate. Although, despite the benefits of heightened workplace visibility, Gartner says that less than half of organizations implement such practices.
Workplace transparency allows teams to co-create policies and inform critical mission decisions. Moreover, Gartner's research claims that heightened worker visibility expectations can improve employee performance, collaboration, engagement, and inclusion.
Flexibility
A crucial benefit and attraction towards hybrid working is the increased flexibility for employees at all levels of a business.
Gartner states remote working protocols can significantly improve employee productivity and performance. Remote working days give increased autonomy to employees, allowing them to manage their work around daily activities and commitments.
Another benefit businesses can attach to hybrid working is "meeting-free days." Again, Gartner's research says that while 55 per cent of organizations offer remote days, only 22 percent of organizations include "meeting-free days" - meaning a majority of organizations are missing out on potential efficiency improvements.
Gartner says meeting-free days allow employees to customize work structures, reduce "virtual overload", and avoid meeting fatigue.
Connectivity
With workplaces adopting hybrid and remote working operations, connectivity requirements will increase. Businesses must take the appropriate steps to ensure workers are well-connected with their colleagues at all levels.