Two-part series on modern home office, onboarding and part-time models.
What actually counts more: on-time and outstanding performance – or where and when it is achieved? One thing is clear: rigid attendance requirements are no longer in keeping with the times.
An increasingly demanding working world requires flexible home office, onboarding and part-time models that benefit all sides.
Everyday life eats up energy
There’s no question that energy is a prerequisite for productive and satisfied teams. But managers and employees have less and less of it.
Exhaustion and disorientation are steadily increasing in our globalized, complex and unpredictable world, as the latest study by the PINKTUM Institute shows. Almost two thirds of those surveyed have less energy than they did three years ago.
At the same time, the pressure of international competition remains high. In order to remain productive in the long term, collaboration and working hours need to be organized differently.
Rigid rules are stressful
Another finding of the study is that being required to be in the office has a negative impact on satisfaction. Employees have come to particularly appreciate the benefits of working from home during the pandemic. More flexible working hours give them more freedom to manage the balancing act between work and family, organize appointments more easily and master tasks in a more relaxed manner. The opportunity to organize your everyday life in a more self-determined way reduces stress and increases motivation.
When companies increasingly return to the office, citing better communication and work culture on site, this is perceived by many as a further burden on the work-life balance.
Working exclusively on site makes people dissatisfied
Among respondents who work exclusively in the office and have no option to work remotely,the proportion of rather to very dissatisfied is almost twice as high as among those who have this option.
Flexibility in working hours gives strength
The back-to-office debate reflects the broad discussions about how work and flexibility can be reconciled. Ultimately, it is about finding a working rhythm that gives managers and employees strength rather than taking it away. Companies should take the needs of their employees seriously and offer a customized remote model.
What supports mobile working:
- Adapt agreements
Remote rules should be binding, but not rigid. After all, whether it’s an important presentation or a sick child, life cannot be completely planned. That’s why you should vary them from week to week, as too strict guidelines can be draining. - Align working models with the team
What needs to be done on site and what can be done remotely depends on the respective internal requirements. The rules should therefore always be defined at team level. - Align understanding of leadership
Trust is better than control, results are more valuable than presence. Employees want to be treated with respect and as equals by their bosses. Top-down management is perceived as outdated and a stress factor. - Rethinking the office
People are social beings, community gives strength. Presence must become more attractive again and offices must be more than just places of work, but meeting places, places of exchange and togetherness. - Bringing back those who refuse to work
Some employees don’t even want to go to the office any more – even though working exclusively remotely without direct contact can be draining. Companies should convince stubborn refuseniks to adopt a hybrid model between working from home and the office. - Creating a work-care balance
Parents and family caregivers are in a high-pressure phase of life. Flexible models specifically for these times enable them to better reconcile work and care work and reduce their already high workload.
Andreas Kaufmann (Equity Partner, PAWLIK Consultants): “A well thought-out hybrid model promotes employee satisfaction and commitment as well as the productivity and competitiveness of companies.
It must be designed according to individual requirements, objectives and the respective culture. I will be happy to assist you with the design and implementation.”
