Christopher J. Dwyer

Although it seems as if many regions (and individuals) around the world are acting as if the pandemic is over, the hard truth is that we’re still not close to the finish line. Last week, when pandemic expert and longtime virologist Dr. Anthony Fauci clarified previous remarks and stated that the United States was out of the “acute phase” of the pandemic, it meant that businesses, professionals, and us as people were in an odd gray zone; case counts are rising, but hospitalizations are falling. We’re returning to many of the events and situations that weren’t possible last year, however, we’re still remaining cautious in specific instances.

We know what this means for us as individuals; we can make calculated risks based on our comfort levels, where we are physically within the country (local transmission levels), and our personal networks (i.e., opportunities for infect at-risk family members or friends). However, what does this mean for the typical enterprise?

Well, the Future of Work Exchange believes that this is another opportunity to experiment with how they want to operate from a workplace structure perspective. Although we’ve heard (over and over and over again) that return-to-office plans were in place, there are still tens of thousands of organizations that have still not finalized their strategy regarding how they want their work. And, those that have opened their doors to workers should hopefully be viewing the past several months as the greatest opportunity to see what works, and what doesn’t, in regards to hybrid models.

The remote vs. hybrid vs. all in-person debates have been raging since the summer of 2020, a time when both professionals and people tired of four or five months’ worth of stress, anxiety, loneliness, fear, and frustration. While there was a political storm brewing over when to ease lockdowns, business leaders faced yet another critical quandary in how they were continuing to operate in evolving, previously-unknown conditions.

Last year, I suggested that enterprise utilize their time to experiment with various workplace structures, management methods, and technology-led collaboration to see what made the most sense for when the business world ultimately called for a return to workers getting back to “normal.” While we now know that there is no normal, nor should there be, some organizations tooled with hybrid schedules, fully-remote options for specific functions, and core in-person work for roles that demanded it. There was a massive payoff to this: business leaders were able to glean the productivity benefits, flexibility, and overall worker engagement that resulted from these endeavors. Too, these organizations were also able to determine how to move forward during those uncertain times, all in preparation for when the pandemic would be at a more controllable phase.

While it’s way too early to say that the COVID-19 crisis is nearing its resolution, it is safe to assume that we have entered a more controllable state, one in which vaccines are aplenty, there are antiviral options that can have a tremendous effect on high-risk individuals, and the fact that immunity may be at its highest point. While the specter of another immunity-dodging variant looms, as does a fall and early winter surge, now is the perfect time for those organizations that haven’t experimented with new work models to do so.

What does that entail?

• Determine which functional groups require in-person collaboration and the frequency of such coordination, then build a hybrid schedule around these meetings. Workers that crave a hybrid workplace model will be much more productive if they know that their in-office days are centered around the meetings they require, rather than wasting time at desks and cubicles on tasks and projects that can be effectively supported remotely.
• Gauge the overall culture of the workplace and consider what needs to be done to positively engage workers. Culture is a foundational element of the Future of Work, as well as one of several crucial attributes that play vital roles in talent attraction and talent retainment. Does the organization’s culture reflect rigidity and an unwillingness to be flexible? Is this depleting morale? If so, now is the ideal time to experiment with hybrid and remote models, and, measure their effectiveness on the overall mood of the workplace.
• Create a “beyond perks” program that is attractive to both in-office and remote workers. Some businesses are offering meal plans to those who commute to the workplace everyday, while supporting fully-remote workers with financial support for home office hardware. These small tokens may seem trivial in the greater vacuum of business, however, they can go a long way in helping workers feel like they are appreciated.
• Understand that “safety-first” plans may still be required for at-risk individuals. While many of us have been enjoying some pre-pandemic activities, such as restaurants and concerts, there are many of us who are at-risk for severe virus outcomes (immunocomprised persons, for example). Forcing workers to appear in-person when they are at this risk of severe illness is not only irresponsible, it’s one way to lose an employee’s engagement with the workplace. Smaller and mid-sized organizations can handle these situations with specific remote or hybrid plans, while enterprise-sized companies can put together blanket guidelines that work for all at-risk workers.
• Use this time to harness the power of digital workspace technology. Digital workspaces have become a necessity in today’s flexible working world. As remote workers continue to require access to systems, data, and intelligence, businesses will need to enhance their workspace technology to ensure that professionals can tap into the power of a more secure, more flexible, and, most importantly, a more agile, hybrid cloud infrastructure no matter where they are located.

These are just a handful of recommendations for experimenting with new workplace models. If businesses can take advantage of these next few months, they will be better equipped to pivot if required in the event of a fall or winter surge. In addition, experimenting with flexible arrangements will result in several fantastic by-products, such as an improved workplace culture and better worker engagement.