The outdoor pools and restaurants are full, almost two-thirds of Germans are fully vaccinated, and the first people are returning from vacation with a tan – it almost seems as if the coronavirus pandemic is history. The fact is that we can at least enjoy the summer almost as we did in pre-coronavirus times. But what about the world of work? While employees of some companies are returning to the company offices as quickly as possible, for others, after more than a year of the coronavirus pandemic, working from home full-time has become the norm. Almost half of all employees have worked from home at least temporarily during the pandemic, leaving many company locations empty for months. As a result, countless employees have made themselves comfortable in their home offices and are reluctant to return to working on site, or only partially so. Among other things, they appreciate the greater flexibility, the time saved by not commuting and the opportunity to work at unusual times, making it easier to take care of their families. In addition, new employees who started working for a company during the pandemic are unfamiliar with the everyday reality of being present in the office and some of them have never or only rarely been there. For them, it is even more unusual to actually travel to the new company every weekday. These experiences have also changed the needs and desires of employees. For example, 72% want to work from home more often in the future and 83% want to be able to organize their working hours flexibly, according to surveys by the personnel service provider Robert Half1 and StepStone2. Managers also seem to have reduced their reservations about home offices and adapted their management style to remote work as a result of their experiences during the pandemic. In the future, home office will therefore tend to be a standard rather than a benefit.
However, there is also another side to the coin. Due to remote work, a great many employees suffer from a lack of social interaction and few personal relationships with colleagues. More than two-thirds of employees miss social contacts the most when working from home. We at Breitenstein Consulting also miss personal contact despite daily virtual check-ins. The reduced social relationships when working at a distance are due to various aspects. Virtual meetings eliminate most interactions that are not required for the actual work. A chat on the way to the meeting room, a coffee break together, a quick question to a colleague that develops into an intensive discussion – all of this cannot be covered on the same level virtually. However, it is precisely these interactions that are very important for people to be satisfied as social beings. It also makes it much more difficult to maintain or develop a sense of belonging to the company, which weakens employee loyalty. In addition, virtual interactions are often not as in-depth as a face-to-face conversation. Due to the small video frame, many non-verbal cues, such as gestures and posture, are lost. However, these are very important for being able to correctly assess the conversation partner or to convey understanding and emotions through one’s own body language. Working in person at least some of the time is therefore essential to maintain social interaction in working life. Employees are also aware of this, with only 4% wanting to work in a home office permanently. It is becoming apparent, therefore, that hybrid working models, in which both home office and on-site work are practiced, will be the way of working in the future. This way, low levels of social interaction can be maintained without having to restrict the newly gained flexibility.
Transformation to hybrid forms of work
But how do you successfully and sustainably transition to hybrid working? Simply enabling employees to work from home can very easily lead to a negative change in corporate culture. For example, team cohesion can be lost if only a fraction of the team is in the office at any one time. Or employees working from home may feel excluded if they are only able to actively participate in meetings to a limited extent due to a lack of technical equipment. Therefore, a transformation to hybrid working must be well planned and not happen without thought. The following three steps provide a guide for a successful transition to hybrid working arrangements:
- Evaluation: Working from home for the past year has given us a unique opportunity to analyze the advantages and challenges of home office and hybrid working, to reflect on initial attempts at solutions and their success, and to identify the needs of employees and the company. It is therefore very helpful to evaluate the experiences of the past year and compare them with the on-site work before Corona in order to identify the first important aspects for hybrid working in your own company.
- Develop a vision: Every company has to decide individually how it wants to implement hybrid working. There are different variants, from fixed home office days to working formats without any location or working time specifications, from which a company has to develop the form that suits it best. It is important to take into account the wishes and needs of employees in order to generate a comprehensive vision of the future. This vision is then communicated transparently to all parties involved in order to foster their support.
- Implementation: The right conditions must be in place for a successful implementation. For example, appropriate equipment (e.g. loudspeakers for virtual conferences) must be purchased or the recording of working hours in the home office must be clarified so that hybrid working is possible without any problems. In addition, it is helpful to try out different approaches quickly and flexibly when new problems arise and to develop long-term solutions over time in order to bridge the transition phase as smoothly as possible.
Promoting meaningful social interactions
Regardless of how hybrid working is implemented in detail, the coronavirus pandemic has taught us the importance of social interaction in the workplace. In the future, offices will therefore increasingly become places for exchange and conscious collaboration, rather than consisting solely of workplaces. After all, tasks can often be completed just as well or better in peace and quiet at home. To support this change, social exchange in the office must be specifically promoted. And even if a potential fourth wave of the coronavirus means that everyone is once again working from home temporarily, maintaining meaningful social interactions is very important for the well-being of employees. The following are a few ideas on how to foster meaningful social interactions in everyday work:
- Encouraging qualitative interactions: In order to create a deep exchange and show appreciation for the other person, it is important to pay full attention to the person you are talking to, to actively listen and also to support the conversation with eye contact and body language.
- Hold one-on-one meetings: In a one-on-one conversation, you can address the other person much more directly than in team meetings. It also allows you to better identify and address their needs and desires, which often don’t get a chance in group meetings.
- Plan team activities in person: Whether it’s a lunch together, a beer after work, or a foosball tournament – social interaction can also be encouraged outside of working hours. A different context or a shared activity often encourages employees to engage in meaningful conversations.
- Sharing personal information: To better understand and engage with employees, you can encourage them to talk about their personal interests, experiences and current life situation. It also helps to reciprocate by sharing your own experiences and interests.
- Create incentives for on-site work: When everyone is working from home, there are hardly any advantages to driving to the office yourself. Incentives can be created to encourage more on-site work and exchange. For example, ‚team days‘ can be set aside when a team is on site and has lunch together, or a beer after work near the office can be planned.
The challenges of the coronavirus pandemic have significantly changed our working world and made us aware of how important social relationships are for personal well-being and job satisfaction. Therefore, the experiences and insights gained during the long-term home office must be used to make our way of working and companies fit for the future – and to be able to enjoy a hybrid workday even after the summer.
