Adjusting to the new workplace normal

Public health restrictions were finally lifted at the beginning of the year. That enabled a return to work for many but not necessarily a return to the office. What does the new workplace normal look like and how is it likely to evolve in 2023 and beyond?

Lifting of restrictions

The lifting of Covid restrictions requiring people to work from home where possible provided the first opportunity for organisations to explore hybrid, remote work, and flexible work models, where they previously had little to no experience of those ways of working, says Vicky O’Neill, HR strategy specialist, Ibec. “Companies are experimenting now to see what works for their businesses, their customers, and their employees. This is very much a learning phase as hybrid working is dramatically different from the ‘fully remote, emergency measures’ that we experienced, and in many ways ‘put up with’ during the pandemic in response to the greater health crisis.”

Changes to the way – and where – we work

According to recent Ibec research, while many businesses have advanced with developing hybrid working plans this year, a proportion were still undecided. “Where hybrid is in place there was a mix of approaches with many specifying a minimum number of on-site days per week, while others (31 per cent) intend to give autonomy to managers/teams in deciding how best to work together.

“There is a focus on managing working time to maximise the benefit of hybrid working using focus days at home and promoting collaborative working during days on-site to encourage more meaningful in-person interactions.” O’Neill says what is interesting is that up to 22 per cent of employers have yet to decide what their hybrid or flexible models of work will be highlighting the complexity of these new forms of work for many organisations.

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“The same research reports that 39 per cent of respondents believe that just over half the roles within their organisation are suitable for flexible, remote or hybrid arrangements. Aligned to this shift to new ways of working is, prioritising workplace culture as a core part of workplace design to continue to drive employee retention and engagement in an incredibly competitive market.”

Covid didn’t just affect people but also businesses. Matt Glowatz, assistant professor, UCD says that the new way of working from home and, in many industries, hybrid working environments resulted in the need to conduct and complete research in the emerging knowledge fields of remote working skills and the development of campus of the future infrastructures enabling academics to pursue emerging employee skill set developments.

When people work and interact well together, and take the time to establish those relationships, where they trust each other and support each other ... that needs to be nurtured

—  Mark Redmond

Mark Redmond, chief people officer at Three Ireland and UK, says that they’ve seen a lot of positive engagement since people have returned to the office. “It’s really important to have those human connections, the micro connections where you meet at the coffee dock or in the lift. You’re talking to a lot more people and having a lot more conversations which helps to establish and maintain the culture of the company.”

Is there an expectation to return to the office?

By and large there’s a preference for people to be in the office to some degree, says Redmond. “There are some organisations that have gone 100 per cent remote, and others that are insisting on five days a week, but it seems to be the hybrid way is what most organisations are doing.”

O’Neill says that there is a benefit to businesses of a return to the office, which also applies to employees. “Research tells us that in fully remote situations our social and professional networks become smaller and less open to new connections, which is a particular disadvantage to new entrants to a sector or younger employees building their careers. The in-person environment lends itself to considerable learning by observation, osmosis and serendipitous interactions.

“We also know that in-person attendance at work provides important social outlets for making friends and sharing interests and building a community which are vital for our broader mental health and well being. These things can diminish in a remote world meaning employees and culture can suffer, in turn impacting on attrition and organisational outcomes. It is important to note that a return to the office should be purpose-driven to achieve positive outcomes, bringing employees back to do the same virtual meetings as they can do remotely will not drive the engagement that makes an organisation and its culture thrive.”

Investment in the technology is critical to enable remote connection and collaboration and may become a core feature of the employee value proposition in future

—  Vicky O’Neill

Redmond believes that being in the office is important for culture and trust and says that if people are going to work collaboratively and effectively together that works best when relationships are built on trust. “Trust doesn’t happen overnight, it’s not something you can assume will happen. So, when people work and interact well together, and take the time to establish those relationships, where they trust each other and support each other – that’s really important. That needs to be nurtured.”

Do people want to return?

Redmond says when they ask people about hybrid policies they say very happy with the level of flexibility that hybrid allows. “It allows them to have those human connections.” Overall it’s been well received. There are a small number of people who would like to work 100 per cent remotely, but in the main its been overwhelming that people want to work at least hybrid.

What does the 2023 workplace look like?

Employee expectations in terms of remote/hybrid working are anticipated to have the greatest impact (77 per cent) on business into 2023 as employers and employees navigate the medium- and long-term implications of these new ways of working, says O’Neill. “It is also worth noting that employers are also waiting to see the new Right to Request Remote Working legislation and the related Code of Practice before finalising their own policies.

“Investment in the technology is critical to enable remote connection and collaboration and may become a core feature of the employee value proposition in future, along with home office set up or remote hubs to work from, and culture and wellbeing strategies for a dispersed workforce.”