How to Navigate the New World of Hybrid Work
Safeguard Global considers the evolution of a flexible workforce
Working from home was a perk few companies offered before the COVID-19 crisis, but now a hybrid arrangement is one of the most predominant work modes.
That’s partly because employees prefer it.
According to the 2021 Accenture Future of Work Study, 83% of 9,000 workers surveyed worldwide said hybrid work offered the best of both worlds.
This section of the report is sponsored by Safeguard Global and originally appeared in Middle Market Executive’s Fall 2022 issue. Read the full story in the archive.
Hybrid work gives employers more opportunities to attract top talent, yet it requires some adjustment on the part of companies that must adapt to this new era.
“Hybrid work will predominate, but remote will increase over time,” says Brian Dames, executive president of Austin-based Safeguard Global, a payroll and outsourcing services provider.
He adds that technology has made it easier to access talent all over the world. “There are so many people on this planet who have a lot to offer, but a few years ago, it was impossible to find where they were and to offer them opportunities,” he says. “Now, all that has changed.”
Broader Hybrid Work Definition
Most people think of hybrid work as full-time employees with flexible work schedules where they work from home sometimes. In fact, hybrid work can be defined more broadly, by adding gig and contract workers into the mix, Dames says.
He adds that some positions are best suited to individuals, like gig and contract workers, who can work remotely. This is particularly true if the company has offices globally.
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Also, in a hybrid work world, managers should find out how the team wants to work and then balance that against the needs of the business, Dames notes. While some high-profile business leaders have come out strongly against working from home in any capacity, it’s not where the market is going, he says.
Younger workers in particular are highly interested in hybrid work, and if managers want to attract top talent, they will have to adapt.
“Gen Z will not even talk to you if they can’t go remote and be flexible,” Dames says. “You can throw all the money you want at them, but they don’t care. Those businesses that don’t adapt to hybrid and fully remote work will feel it.”
Gen Z will not even talk to you if they can’t go remote and be flexible. You can throw all the money you want at them, but they don’t care. Those businesses that don’t adapt to hybrid and fully remote work will feel it.
Communication Is Key
Managing a hybrid team requires new skills. Since employees are not in the office as much, Dames recommends that managers commit to communicating regularly with their teams.
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It’s also crucial to gather workers together sometimes, so they see each other face to face in social settings. While employees want to work from home, they also like to socialize with their teams occasionally, he says. Now that many COVID-19 restrictions have loosened, it’s easier to do that, so managers should think about how to gather employees in-person from time to time.
“I think we all have to adapt and evolve in a lot of ways, but people still want to get together and see each other,” Dames says. “So, the trick is to find the right balance for everyone.”
Brian Dames is Executive President of Safeguard Global.
