Article: To Win at Hybrid, Focus on Human Connection

For Employees, A Strong Desire for Better Work and Deeper Connection

The Great Resignation was an awakening for employees and is both an ongoing challenge and a wake up call for companies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people started to reexamine their personal and professional priorities. They left jobs, asking questions like: Why do I do what I do? What am I good at? How can I thrive?Ibid. Harvard Business Review.

Employees who have discovered their purpose are 49% more likely to report intrinsic motivation, 33% more likely to express higher job satisfaction, and 25% more likely to go the extra mile, according to London School of Economics research commissioned by Unilever.Ibid. Harvard Business Review.

Today’s employees want more than just a paycheck. They want flexibility — the ability to work when and where they want, as long as they can get the job done. Hybrid gives people the ability to work from the front porch, be on time for their kid’s softball game, or move to a small town in another part of the country. Affordable, high-quality webcams and fast, ubiquitous Wi-Fi make this flexibility possible.

More than half of the workforce say they are willing to take a pay cut if it means flexibility to work from anywhere, according to a survey by ADP Research Institute. Some 64% of the workforce would consider looking for a new job if required to return to the office full time. “ADP Research Institute® Reveals Pandemic-Sparked Shift in Workers’ Priorities and Expectations in New Global Study.” ADP, April 2022.

Employees want health and wellbeing. According to a Gallup report, burnout makes employees 2.6 times more likely to leave their employer.Employee Wellbeing Starts at Work.” Gallup, July 2022. And the problem may be getting worse. COVID-19 and the new world of remote work make employee wellbeing and mental health even more critical today, according to the World Economic Forum. “Workers say they want even more well-being support now than during the pandemic.” World Economic Forum, September 2022. Burned-out workers want more support, including mental health services, but only a third of companies say they offer these extra benefits. Ibid. World Economic Forum.

Reducing burnout can pay dividends for people and businesses. Offering flexible work schedules and locations, along with benefits such as mental health support, can help employees manage work/life balance while meeting the demands of the job.

Employees want human connection. As a result of the pandemic and the shift to flexible work, 65% of workers now say they feel less connected to their coworkers. Employee disconnection is one of the main drivers of voluntary turnover, costing US companies up to $406 billion a year.“How Leaders Can Build Connection in a Disconnected Workplace.” Harvard Business Review, January 2022.

One way companies can address employee disconnection is to promote friendship and meaningful connection at work. While video is not a perfect antidote, studies prove it promotes human connection. It should not be surprising then that webcam purchases and the use of video conferencing skyrocketed during COVID-19 as people sought some way to connect to colleagues while working remotely.

Employees want meaningful work. People find meaning at work through various avenues. Among the most important are connection to others, a sense of purpose, and the feeling of being part of something larger than yourself. According to a 2021 report from McKinsey, when employees find their work meaningful, performance improves by 33%, and they are 49% less likely to quit.“Making work meaningful from the C-suite to the frontline.” McKinsey & Company, June 2021.

Forward-thinking business leaders understand this intuitively. And they know that smart, talented people will not settle for old ways of working. To keep employees engaged, leaders must create a meaningful employee experience that involves purpose and connection.

How Do We Make the Office a Place Where People Love to Work?

As business leaders consider their hybrid strategy, many are rethinking the purpose of the office. The traditional office — which evolved from the factory model and was designed essentially as a factory floor for knowledge workers — is generally not the best way to serve today’s knowledge workers.

Today, offices are becoming places for people to meet and collaborate in person — when being in person is necessary. For certain types of projects, responsibilities, and tasks, gathering face-to-face in a meeting room is more efficient and effective than trying to coordinate remotely. Plus, socializing in person creates a sense of community and belonging, which strengthens loyalty to one’s team and organization.

“During the pandemic and in its immediate aftermath, in-office presence will be needs-based. Offices will not be ‘productivity centers’ but sites for employee engagement, collaboration, and building relationships balanced by WFH productivity and efficiency.” – Frost & Sullivan “Post-pandemic Growth Opportunity Analysis of the Meetings Market.” Frost & Sullivan, June 2020.

If the primary purpose of the office is to foster collaboration and connection, organizations should optimize space and function. To that end:

• Design offices for flexibility, emphasizing meeting spaces and group collaboration zones.

• Focus on comfort. Think open, living room-inspired spaces for employee connection, rather than cubicle farms. 

• Video-enable all spaces where work is done so employees can easily connect regardless of location.