Mini blog series:
Part 1 presents key findings from the Microsoft Work Trend Index. We discuss the status quo of our working world and its transition into the hybrid era.
The following part 2 will address the development of a sustainable hybrid work culture.
Part 1 / The pandemic has not only changed the world of work, but us as well. We, the players in this working world, have changed with it – as employers, as employees, as colleagues, as teams. 2020 was a jump in the deep end: from presence to remote. Now, in 2021, we try to strike a balance between these extremes.
Without knowing, we became part of something big: We are the first generation of a digital workforce. We are defining the norms and structures of a flexible working environment that we have never known before. In doing so, we hold great responsibility, both for ourselves and for future generations. The question is: How can we live up to this responsibility?
Study: Microsoft Work Trend Index
The results of a global Microsoft study provide valuable impulses on how we can master this responsible task.
For the Microsoft Work Trend Index, approximately 31,000 full-time employees and self-employed in 31 countries were surveyed online in January 2021. In the following, we present the most important findings of the study.
One key finding: there is a „hybrid Paradox" – we still want flexible remote work options (73%) and yet we crave more in-person interaction with our colleagues (67%). Therefore, we not only need to rethink the work style in the hybrid era, but also the workspace; both, digital and physical, like offering more collaboration space, multimedia rooms for hybrid meetings, et cetera.
Keep in mind (as generally when building a hybrid work concept): There is no one-size-fits-all solution! Organizations must define individual hybrid models based on their stakeholder's needs. A leader's finesse plays a key role in succeeding, as we will discuss in the second part of this blog series.
Attention employers – 41% of the global workforce consider changing their employer within the next year.
Career decisions were put on hold during the pandemic, but now they are brought back to the fore. Especially among those who would have liked more support from their employer during the pandemic. For example, 46% missed financial assistance with remote work expanses. In addition, 37% of respondents say their employer is asking too much of them. Accordingly, 54% feel overworked, 39% even exhausted. In the EMEA economic region, the latter figure is as high as 42%, with 46% feeling stressed. One in five has the impression that the employer is not interested in their work-life balance.
Analysis of the Microsoft 365 communication tools support this with corresponding figures: While a Teams meeting lasted an average of 35 minutes in February 2020, it takes 45 minutes in February 2021. Overall, the time spent in Teams meetings has more than doubled and continues to grow steadily. The average Teams user sends 45% more chats per week and 42% more after-hours chats, and the trend is upward. This shows that the digital intensity of work has increased significantly.
All the more reason for employers to look inward at their existing workforce more often instead of getting lost in the "war for talent." Attracting good talent is one thing, but retaining it is another.
Given these numbers, it's no surprise that only 38% of employees would describe their careers as thriving – while leaders, on the other hand, would: 61% of respondents in a leadership position feel successful. The gap between leaders and employees certainly contributes to employee's high willingness to change jobs.
Who's behind it? Most leaders are Millennials or Gen X, whereas employees include many 18- to 25-year-olds from Generation Z. Gen Z is particularly suffering from the pandemic. 60% of them report they are merely surviving or are struggeling. Their careers are at a starting point, they have a hard time bringing new ideas to the table and the lack of personal interaction makes it difficult to build up a network (which are shrinking anyway).
However, work has become more human. While communicating from home to home, a family member (two- or four-legged) may flit through the picture. Nearly two-thirds don't mind, for 39% it even creates authenticity and gives them space to be themselves. The increased sense of well-being will also have a positive impact on the working atmosphere and culture when people return to the office – and can thus boost productivity.
Remote work creates a broad talent marketplace – teams get more diverse! Remote work bridges companies and talents that would otherwise not come together due to geographical discrepancy. This expands the talent pool and promotes diversity. Accordingly, the number of remote work job postings on LinkedIn has increased fivefold.
Goal: A work culture characterized by flexibility and trust
The study confirms that the balance we try to strike is hybrid work. At the same time, the results make it clear that we have not yet accomplished that, because flexible work is complex. Companies need to align themselves even better with the new expectations of the workforce – on the one hand, to be able to compete for talent and, on the other, to retain their staff.
Leaders hold the key to success. They need to show empathy and sensitivity, especially in times of change and uncertainty. What defines strong leadership in the hybrid era follows in the upcoming part 2.
Stay tuned.
Your Coopers Team
Photo by Marl Clevenger via Unsplash
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