press release – Should the company’s directors renew or cancel the lease? Decisions made about real estate influence hybrid business policy.
Is hybrid culture becoming less hybrid? Organizations must decide whether to continue offering flexible working anywhere as office leases are up for renewal and business leaders face tough investment decisions in the current economic climate. Should they require everyone to return to the office to justify the cost of the lease, but risk having unhappy employees? Or should they maintain mixed working policies or wherever for the long term and reduce office space, but possibly affect collaboration, innovation and productivity as a result?
Flexible working hours are becoming more common. Outside Search by SD Worx It shows that 44.6% of Dutch people choose a company on the basis of working hours, working hours and a flexible division of working hours. On the other hand, the boards, for example Twitter And Starbucks Containing home working and requiring employees to return to the office, putting pressure on hybrid working. Especially when organizations are constantly working on new aspects of hybrid work, such as remote monitoring, team culture, and workplace innovation.
Employees with hybrid work experience are reluctant to work in organizations that require them to come to the office. If you have to choose between two organizations that offer the same position, similar salary and benefits, you are more likely to choose the one that offers flexible working. What is the future of the office?
Should the company’s directors renew or cancel the lease? Decisions made about real estate influence hybrid business policy. Some organizations have already made up their minds. according to Our research Since the pandemic, 1 in 10 organizations in EMEA has moved away from their offices entirely, and more than half are currently renting less office space. But what about comfort? What should business leaders consider before deciding to renew their contract?
Office or physical workplace based solution
The hybrid model is designed as a compromise to support a distributed workforce while recognizing the value of face-to-face communication. However, our data shows that flexible working policies negatively affect organizations’ ability to innovate successfully. Employees expect a culture of freedom, but if this comes at the expense of business benefits, then perhaps the hybrid is not suitable for modern organizations?
Nearly two-thirds of respondents say their work is more creative when they are in the office, and call for lease renewals. While this may not be what home workers want to hear, organizations need to take this into consideration. Teams that struggle to innovate remotely threaten their organization’s survival. Innovation is essential to commercial success. If employees are not given the opportunity to create and come up with ideas at a distance, hybrid work will fade into the background.
Hybrid road or highway
But we shouldn’t immediately say that flexible working is a failure because innovation has fallen behind. Distributed teams are the new normal, with the vast majority of EMEA employees (81%) saying they experience higher job satisfaction if they can work from anywhere. Of course, this depends on the position a person holds.
Work anywhere policies, introduced during and after the pandemic, have had a positive impact, with outreach to managers, improved morale and collaboration in half of EMEA countries. The traditional office culture, where employees consider supervision by managers to be normal or accept that they always have to spend long days at their desks, is a thing of the past. according to Future Forum More than a third of employees in the UK, France and Germany have returned to their offices full time, but more than half are not there on their own initiative, preferring to work flexibly. The Dutch Parliament passed a law in the summer of 2022 to make working from home a legal right for some professions. In addition, the Dutch Cabinet calls on employers to enter into agreements with employees to continue to encourage hybrid work. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor also provides on its website Tips for all kinds of tools that can help you to work successfully in Hybrid.
Business leaders cannot question the value of flexible working, because they risk employee turnover and stagnation in their recruitment efforts. We’ve all seen what can happen, for example in Tesla when Elon Musk told employees to go back to the office.
But in response to the popularity of hybrid work, open spaces should not be blindly neglected, nor should hybrid workplace alternatives be abandoned. Organizations need to find a balance. The strategy should be based on the benefits of technology, culture and, of course, the employees themselves, so that they can perform tasks in the best possible setting, whether at home or in the actual workplace. The question is how do we ensure that the organization can find this balance.
Energizing innovation with a digital-first approach to productivity
Creativity and technology are not mutually exclusive. Technology has improved every channel in business and every aspect of daily life. With the right foundation, digital creativity can arise.
Organizations must make better use of tools that facilitate innovation. Secure access to important company information for all employees, regardless of their location, is essential to spur digital creativity. Organizations looking to innovate the workplace need to leverage technology, as well as provide skills improvement programs and take remote working security and corporate purpose to the next level. This will create a cohesive culture of authenticity and collaboration. This foundation needs to be in place before employees can truly harness the power of digital tools.
Digital transformation for creative results
It is not wise to insert mandatory sessions in the office all the time. Innovation and productivity don’t have to suffer when employees are away from the office. Well-functioning organizations focus on remote working first, without judging employees working from home or the office. Working from anywhere is now an integral part of the DNA of modern organizations and reducing physical space may be necessary to prepare for the inevitable digital first future. Leaders must focus on the best investment for their organization’s survival.
