Hi everyone! Hope you’re all well (not too waterlogged) from these heavy rains we have been having. Welcome to another edition of Tips, we hope you find them useful and make sure you check out the Positions on the Peninsula at the bottom to keep you up to date on what roles are available through our agency.
We have noted a bit of a shift in employee expectations around hybrid models of work. Many of us have been working at home during the pandemic, and you might be hoping for those flexible working options to become permanent.
However, it’s possible your manager might be keen for you to return to the office full-time. Interestingly over 54% of employees say their organisation is offering hybrid working arrangements (survey conducted by Seek) but over a third (35%) say their employer hasn’t offered any support to transition into hybrid working.
Keep in mind that flexibility and hybrid working should matter to employers, too. As more companies adopt it, there is a risk to the employer brand for the companies that don’t. Research has found that 30% of employees say their workload has increased since working from home (as the hours they might have spent commuting are generally now spent online) and 37% of Managers believe their teams have been more productive.
But plenty of workers have missed the social connection and the buffer between work and home life. Many have missed having the “disconnect” between work and home they had when they commuted. The face to face and spontaneous interactions are gone and they do play a significant role in who you are as a team and, for many of us, are contributors to why we love our work. This is where the combination of home and office work-or hybrid work- fits in.
Before approaching your Boss, plan your conversation so you’re clear on what it is you’re asking if you want to explore Hybrid models.
Think about your role and be realistic: Can your role even be conducted remotely? Keep in mind that some roles-such as an office coordinator or reception role-sometimes can’t be performed effectively if they’re entirely remote.
Highlight the Benefits: Explain the benefits of working remotely, and how you might overcome any obstacles you’ve already identified
Outline the structure of your days: Be clear about which days you would like to work remotely, explain how your days at home will be structured in a practical sense, and whether every week will have the same structure
Explain how you will be contactable: Reassure your boss that you’ll be responsive via phone, email or through your organisations messaging system. Everyone needs to be on the same page about reasonable contact ability and responsiveness. Its important the whole team and key stakeholders understand how to contact each other so there aren’t impacts to deliverables.
Suggest a trial period: If your manager is unsure about hybrid working, suggest a trial period. A trial is great for both parties because you can see how its working and review it.
Questions your manager might ask: Your manager believes you’ll be less productive at home- explain how you’ve maintained the same productivity during the pandemic and give examples of specific tasks if you can back that up. There are plenty of ways your manager can monitor output such as daily phone calls/messaging/virtual meetings. Give your manager regular updates as your day progresses.
Your manager thinks you will be distracted at home: Employees are generally more productive at home because there are fewer distractions (except for home schooling and the day care drop off). There are viewer incidental interruptions at home, with none of the office social chats leaving more focus time in general.
Your manager is concerned about the impact on team culture: Research does suggest that 52% of managers are concerned about their team’s culture because of hybrid working. Technology offers plenty of opportunities to connect with the team. You could suggest ideas for weekly team activities such as a Zoom/Teams lunch meeting, team trivia or end of week drinkipoos so you stay connected. You could also suggest a dedicated office day where everyone is there on the same day at least once a week.
Working from home suits some of us well, and if you’re keen to continue or move towards hybrid working, talking to your manager is the first step. Take the time to think about exactly what you want, and how it will work in a practical sense so your boss is confident it will work.