While businesses had adopted flexible working arrangements for some time, 32 per cent of Australians worked from home during the height of the Covid-19 crisis.
Parcel delivery service CouriersPlease (CP) was one company whose flexible work arrangements prior to shutdowns were reserved for a few, before becoming one of the first companies in the logistics industry to move its head office and support team to home-based work―a move that only 15 per cent of the transport industry made at the time.
Now, CP has made the permanent shift to a hybrid working model for its 400 employees, a move its CEO believes will foster company culture and boost productivity. CP CEO Mark McGinley cites the productivity employees maintained while working from home last year as the crux of this decision.
“The new video teleconferencing culture has proven that it isn’t necessary to be in the same room to have effective and open communication in an organisation,” he explains.
“People can work just as effectively, if not more productively, at home. However, they do still crave face-to-face interactions. Towards the end of last year, three-quarter of Australians were missing the energy of their workplace. In this way, the hybrid work model, where employees work both in the office and remotely, can prove successful.”
McGinley believes it will be easier for companies to transition to hybrid working post-Covid. In fact, two-thirds of Australians believe a hybrid working model is the most productive, compared with working remotely or within the office exclusively.
“This is a new norm that we’re naturally moving towards, given many Australians are already comfortable with home-based work. Businesses considering this model should focus on building company culture and creating a healthy work-life balance for employees.”
McGinley shares four tactics for a successful hybrid working model:
1 Consider mandating a day in the office to foster company culture. Having one or two mandated days in the office each week, set aside for social interaction and team building, can help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation for those working remotely. On those days, businesses can schedule physical meetings, host team-building activities, share company news and celebrate employee achievements.
2 Recognise and celebrate the efforts of employees. It can be difficult for employees to feel valued and recognised when working remotely. At CP, we introduced a ‘High Flyers’ employee of the month program, presenting staff members with awards across six categories: trust, transformation, safety, top execution, one team and total customer. Recognition programs such as these are a great option for many businesses, whether working remotely or in a hybrid environment.
3 Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid working. Rather than mandating hybrid working arrangements company-wide, businesses could consider allowing team leaders to assess the performance of their individual team members as they work from home. Each leader could decide the employees they believe will be more productive with a part-time remote and office arrangement and those that thrive working from home full-time.
Some larger organisations are also giving employees a choice to work from home or in the office permanently or both. A financial services firm even surveyed its staff to gauge the environment they’d prefer to work in.
4 Provide access to mental health support. The pandemic brought an increase in stress and the transition to remote work was isolating. Last year, 55 per cent of employees said their workplaces weren’t taking action to address mental health, and those suffering from a mental health condition increased by nine per cent. Businesses need to have a mental health program in place that is easily accessible to support the wellbeing of employees.
