While the shift to hybrid working has brought many benefits, including less commuting time, more focused meetings and a better work-life balance, it has also accelerated several worrying trends such as loneliness. Dr Guy Lubitsh explores the tensions and dilemmas in the post-pandemic workplace.
Hult International Business School’s recent report, Reconnecting Back at Work – the Dark and Sunny Side, found tension between the efforts of travelling to a physical workplace versus the importance of serendipity once they were there.
Respondents to the research detailed the effort of trying to schedule their working week – including the time, cost and planning of travelling into a physical office and scheduling as many face-to-face meetings as possible to reduce the effort on their part.
However, one outcome of making the effort was the positive role that serendipity has played in unexpected interactions with others, as well as informal “watercooler” conversations. Such interactions are important for understanding what is really going on in the business, building connections and developing new business opportunities.
Hybrid working loneliness
Remote working pushing mental health to top of wellbeing agenda
Most respondents also described the virtual world and hybrid working as being more inclusive and collaborative, with no limitations on physical space or travel requirements.
For example, one respondent said: “I have access to 40 people around the world via Zoom. This was not possible before Covid. I am able now to reach more people across the globe and open up unique collaborations across geographical boundaries.”
However, there were also concerns about speaking up in meetings, stories of hybrid working loneliness and concerns around a lack of connectivity and a lack of visibility. For some, this reduced connection is having a significant impact on wellbeing and productivity: “I experienced difficulties with writing a proposal… I was hesitant to approach others… being home-based, it was not easy to call or email colleagues. I very much miss the office where you can easily approach others.”
Work-life balance is something workers want to maintain and manage as they navigate different working conditions. The flexibility of hybrid working was described as at times positive – providing increased connections with family and opportunities for personal time. In some cases though, the blurred boundaries were having a detrimental impact on work and personal lives, with increased workload, without the associated social support/connectivity.
Some respondents have found many positives in terms of changes to their working lives over the past few years: hybrid “winners” such as working parents or people who have been able to balance autonomy with an ability to connect to others.
On the other side, there have been “losers” who described reduced opportunities caused by changes to their working situations, and higher levels of loneliness – including junior staff and new starters.
The challenge for individuals, and organisations, is ensuring the right balance can be achieved. As organisations are searching for the right hybrid model for their business, HR leaders will need to continue to consider appropriate ways to reduce hybrid working loneliness and increase connectivity and inclusion.
How to reduce hybrid working loneliness and improve inclusion
1. Increase psychological safety
Given the loss of physical connection, it is important to invest more in a climate of psychological safety in which people can express themselves without fear of sanction. Bring into the conversation “quieter voices” who may feel excluded from key conversations, or are uncomfortable contributing to large, virtual meetings.
2. Reset expectations
Leaders need to reset expectations with their team and key stakeholders to avoid unnecessary conflict. This could include having regular meetings to discuss the ground rules of working together post-pandemic, such as how roles are shifting and how decision-making should be done.
3. Insist on staying connected and provide virtual working skills
As humans, our natural genetic makeup favours face-to-face connection. Where possible, aim to get teams together. At the same time, it is important not to lose some of the progress made via virtual connectivity. Our research showed that employees are asking leaders to help them develop new skills in how to maintain connections with people working from home.
4. Manage people’s emotions, show vulnerability and seek help
As people will naturally resist some of the changes being introduced, it is important that you can handle emotions such as blame, anger and envy. In parallel, make sure that when needed, you are able to seek appropriate help from others.
It is important to know the limits of your experience and to look for advice from someone who can fill in the gaps to help you solve complex problems.
Remember as well that people prefer to connect better with colleagues who display their vulnerabilities. Jim Whitehurst, CEO of open-source software maker Red Hat, said: “I found that being very open about the things I did not know actually had the opposite effect than I would have thought. It helped me build credibility.”
5. Allow time for “micro-moments of connectivity”
Our daily work is often busy and packed with virtual meetings, schedules and tasks. In the new world of work, we also need to allow space and time for human connections. This means ensuring that you keep diary time for informal in-person catch-ups with good colleagues and strategic partners.
6. Practice humility and show concern for others
Be aware of flattery from others as it can lead to overdone strengths. Instead, be humble and keep on praising others for success. Paul J Zak published a study of Google employees which showed that managers who expressed interest in and concern for other team members, outperformed their colleagues in both the quality and quantity of their work.
7. Learn from your mistakes and protect against failures
Unfortunately, our progress in organisations too often depends on our successes and showing positive results. We marvel at our success. However, our most profound learning comes from mistakes. It is important to set up safe forums to discuss and learn from failures and also encourage line managers to take risks and learn from these experiences.
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