Hybrid work environments have employees seeking deeper meaning in company mission, values and leadership
Barbara Bruno, Global Temporary & Permanent Staffing Senior Director at Gi Group Holding
With the world in the middle of what is being called the “great resignation” it has become increasingly critical for companies to focus on employee relations, looking at their teams’ needs and concerns to emphasize a sense of belonging in a restyled workplace (virtual, hybrid or on-site). Findings from the Pew Research Center in its survey conducted over the course of last year show that worker frustration is real and that leadership and team cohesiveness are now more important than ever. Pew Research shows that overall workers (63%) are frustrated by low pay levels, but that same portion of employees (also 63%) are disappointed in lack of opportunities for career advancement, while 57% of respondents say they feel “disrespected” in the workplace.
This is why, today, leaders have become critical for talent attraction and retention. In the hybrid workplaces in which many companies now operate, it is more difficult for individuals to develop a sense of belonging. They are less close to the traditional company environment (i.e., the building, the workspace, collegial and peer networks, and physical benefits). For many employees, their managers are the main contact channel to the company itself: managers are the ones who set the tone at the job, build employee morale, and give work a mission and purpose. For this reason they need to be good listeners who deliver real, “human” leadership; guidance and support that is people-centric and focused on understanding the needs and ambitions of individuals. Manager-leaders must find solutions for creating work environments that are sustainable and fulfilling. “One size fits all” no longer works, and for today’s employees it is increasingly important that the company they work for has a compelling purpose, a clear mission, and real values demonstrated in their leadership practice. Good leaders will help their employees change their lives by recognising key talents and helping employees leverage that talent to the organisation’s long-term benefit.
Company culture is critical
The options we have today for work types extend exponentially the ability to use skills and talents available, making it possible to have multi-site and multi-cultural teams. However, this requires a strong company culture and the ability to imbue it in corporate teams; to use it as common ground on which to build new initiatives to support business growth. Gallup recently published a survey on “what employees want in a new job” and beyond the traditional issues of pay and work-life balance, corporate culture issues have broken into the survey’s Top 6, with “the ability to do what I do best”, “Covid-19 policies that align with my beliefs”, and “an organisation that is diverse and inclusive of all types of people” rounding out the list. Employees are seeking human leaders who care for their people, not only their professionals.
In today’s detached or remote Covid world, it is crucial that leaders who wish to change lives check in regularly with employees on issues that matter to them personally: ask about their families, their kids, or their weekend; ask employees how they are feeling and solicit and provide feedback continuously. From there, you can move on to updates about targets and projects and figures and KPIs.
If your team has a remote or hybrid work set-up, make sure that occasions to meet in person are truly special events, where beside meetings and intense work, there is always the space to nurture human relationships. This may mean having lunch together or simply taking time to chat and catch up. Those small acts can achieve big results when it comes to delivering on employees’ needs like those mentioned in the Gallup survey above.
Routines can build cohesion and provide meaning for employees
When workplace leaders create regular routines, this can help a lot in enabling employees to grow together as a team. Specific tools for this might include weekly online group meetings to focus on priorities; updates with individual workers a regular basis; and frequent focus groups on specific topics. In today’s world of social media communications, WhatsApp groups are a great way to keep informal relationships strong. Still, joint meetings on-premises should be held on a regular basis to reinforce a sense of belonging. From a practical point of view though, it is wise to give preference to full remote meetings when working in hybrid environments: when half the team meets on-premises while the other is connected remotely, the latter will feel both figuratively and literally detached. Ultimately, workplace leaders need to give team members the work type they need when possible; however, it is critical to make sure working conditions are the same for all of them. However, here again workers will find value in leadership and purpose as communicated by their managers. It is important to keep teams focused on short-term priorities while reinforcing long-term goals as a mantra: build a common roadmap for a clear destination. Hopefully, it will be one that shows how your organisation is changing lives.
