Hybrid work: where do we stand? A Google Workspace survey

What’s hybrid work?

If this new way of working is to be truly sustainable in the long term, several gaps need to be filled and effective planning is required. First of all, the very concept of hybrid work must be clarified, avoiding misleading simplifications. For instance, we should not only think in terms of different locations but also factor in changes in scheduling and working hours. We tend to often think of a black-and-white model, with full-time office job with no flexible working hours on one end of the spectrum, and remote work with ultra-flexible working hours on the other. Actually, hybrid work is likely to fall somewhere in between, in a fluid way that supersedes current standards.

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Improving the model for long-term sustainability

One of the main problems raised by the respondents was the isolation produced by remote working. 57% of respondents said they felt disconnected from their organisation, 62% experienced a hindering in their career growth due to limited networking opportunities and 54% suffered psychologically because of the limited interactions with colleagues.

If hybrid work is to be sustainable, this feeling of isolation must be addressed. Digital meetings and events can be a useful tool in this respect, as 72% of respondents confirmed, and new tools and virtual spaces are already available to facilitate effective communication. At the same time, however, new spontaneous connections also need to be nurtured and monitored.

Many people who work remotely also have bad internet access, rely on obsolete tools, are forced to access a large number of files located in different places and use too many applications to get their work done. Therefore, in addition to acquiring new technologies, a sustainable model also requires making existing tools more effective.

Hybrid work and human interaction: a cultural change is required

A new and better culture of organisation is highly needed. Most respondents said that a lack of ‘face-to-face’ supervision led to lack of connection between managers and employees. This is confirmed by 70% of those who took part in the survey, who stated that the culture of trust between managers and employees leaves much to be desired. Training and management best practices should definitely be applied more consistently, but they should also evolve within a new model, together with the role of managers. At the same time, cooperation between colleagues must be strengthened, as the Covid19 crisis severely affected the dynamics of human interaction. This can also be achieved by rediscovering team spirit through new engaging practises, such as new team-building activities organised and managed remotely.

These are the next challenges that await us, in 2022 and beyond. The final goal is to build a hybrid working model combining flexibility, new tools, improved existing features, and an organisational culture that takes into account the opportunities emerging from this crisis.

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