GUEST COLUMN: The future of work - from remote to hybrid

GUEST COLUMN: The future of work - from remote to hybrid

Understanding the impact it will have on the organisations

Girish Kukreja

Mumbai: In the last one and half years, a lot of things have changed. We have a new experience to share on how the pandemic has altered our lives. And one of the biggest changes is how actively work-from-home has become a huge part of our lives, and transitioned the culture not only in India but across the globe. 2020 is counted as the year of remote work, and the trend continues in 2021 compelling us to rethink our traditional work models.

However, the start of this trend was not that smooth. In the corporate world it caused issues but slowly and steadily it became a part of daily routine. As businesses struggle to become fully operational, the concept of a "hybrid workplace" has provided a light for dealing with the problem. Remote and in-office work is mixed in a Hybrid workplace model, which allows individuals to structure work around their lifestyle rather than around desks in a physical office environment. If done right, it allows employees to be more productive while also encouraging employee engagement. In the past year, Hybrid workforce has also become a mix of freelancers, contractors, and full- time hires and with the new changes HRs today have to play a role in hiring and managing this mix.

Hybrid-remote when adopted should be embraced with great deliberation, care, and intentionality. Organisations need an agile and flexible workforce to succeed in today's expeditiously growing global economy. The best part of witnessing the changes is that there has been a good engagement from both the employee and employer sides. The productivity metrics are proving that the hybrid structure is indeed working. Hybrid-model can only work and give the best results when the HR, team, and the employee are in sync, and both understand how it should go. It depends on a mix of activities undertaken in each occupation and on their physical, spatial, and interpersonal context.

The shift to a hybrid workforce model is inevitable, but you can’t just give your employee a laptop to do the work and ignore other aspects. Organisations have to focus on the employee – on their varying needs and behaviours. It is only by changing the way they manage and lead, by reframing employee touchpoints, and by rebooting the role of the physical workspace – they will create a truly hybrid model and see the improved productivity, lower costs, refreshed managerial roles and strengthened cultural fabric that can be the outcome of this new normal.

Technology has innovated quite a lot in the pandemic thanks to the affordable internet consumption. This has led organisations to equip with the right tools to transition to a hybrid future.

As the quick rate of technological innovation continues to develop, HR needs to become an adaptable and technologically advanced feature. It must be able to change with the changing world around it to serve people throughout their whole career. In light of these particular situations, HR needs to be as wide in its knowledge base as feasible while being as particular in its execution. Finally, HR is no longer a business department that can exist without having a significant impact on the bottom line; its job has expanded to handle a variety of business issues.

Automation, robots, and artificial intelligence (AI) can take on the labour-intensive tasks, allowing HR teams to focus on projects that add value to the organization and improve employees' working lives. Even while HR wants organisations to digitise certain processes, believe me, human interaction cannot be substituted by a machine or robot. HR will evolve, but it will revert to its previous form, with employee involvement and management at its core. HR appears to be coming full circle, thanks to the hybrid workplace, as technology aids HR staff in focusing on high-value tasks.

Going further, companies who will be going with the hybrid workplace, there will be flexible work options which will enable some to continue working remotely, while allowing others to either work in the office or shuttle between both.

The future of remote work will require many changes, including investing in digital infrastructure and freeing office space. For most companies, having employees work outside the office will require reinventing many processes and policies.

And the most important thing is that leaders and the reporting managers must ensure that all employees, irrespective of their location, participate in team activities, so they do not feel left out. There has to be a constant reminder to the team that everyone is in this together — whether they are in the office or at home; that each one plays a role in sustaining the company’s culture in the coming era.

(Girish Kukreja is the founder and CEO of FlexC. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)