“People are more productive working from home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart and it hasn’t”-
The words of Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms Inc. in an interview with CNBC reflect how the IT industry’s work culture has gone through a paradigm shift during and after the pandemic.
A hybrid work model combines the freedom and flexibility of working from home or a remote space with the benefits of a structured on-site work environment. In the literal sense, it’s a mix of remote and office-based working. Employees using the hybrid work model have better time management and a greater ability to combine their personal and professional lives.
The prima-facie challenge would be that the management personnel should delve into micro-management techniques for employees to retain consistency and control quality issues.
A sphere of change in the work environment has an underlying impact on various stakeholders and the employee-management-employer relationship is one among such perspectives.
Taking Aristotle’s viewpoint, each individual and family is a unit and each one’s work is a contribution to making society a better one each day. Thus, we have to consider the dimensions of various stakeholders in altering work models.
For employees.
The hybrid work model promises flexibility both in time and space to work in ways that are most effective for them. They are given the option to work from home at ease and the opportunity to fulfill their tasks at an office. With much enhanced work-life balance, in turn, satisfies the “social security needs”, which, according to Abraham Maslow, is quintessential for a working human being to increase quality-centric productivity.
As per the study by Stanford, employees working from home reaped improved work satisfaction and the companies faced less labor turnover.
The unproductive time, energy, and money the employees spend on commutation can be mobilized and re-used for their personal or family which is a great advantage.
From my personal experience- the hybrid model promises sufficient time for an employee to prepare for academic courses and inculcate talents that are beneficial for the career. As per a Harvard business study employees can trailblaze new ways to leap the routine paths to successfully use remote work to benefit themselves.*1
In the meantime, the esteem needs of employees as specified by Maslow, cannot be fully satisfied through a hybrid work schema. “Esteem needs” refers to recognition and acceptance of one’s work among a guild of colleagues. Human beings are social animals and there is an anthropological need to belong, communicate and socialize with a group. Workspace has provided the right place for the same. In the hybrid working method, we have to refrain from thinking about getting optimal satisfaction in this regard which can lead to serious psychological problems like depression and umpteen OCD’S.
For employers
The eternal 5 Cs’- Clarity, Communication, Collaboration, Consensus, and Compromise are the critical elements in people management and the underlying success of a business.
Employers have to get these 5 Cs’ on track to harvest success either in an office-based format or a hybrid work model.
For hybrid work procedures, the management has to use and depend upon more technology and micro-management measures with precision to hit the 5 C s’, these methods have flaws of their own.
In terms of expense for a hybrid work pattern, the business houses are relieved from incurring high amounts of infrastructural payments like rent, electricity, internet, and a portfolio of miscellaneous expenses. The saved expenditure can be used for business expansion or development thus increasing job opportunities and more spheres of success.
Hybrid work models are the best available patterns for start-up ventures and upcoming entities since the promotional costs of the company would become less.
As I stated earlier from the study of Stanford *2, an organization with a hybrid model has to face fewer attrition rates compared to others, which in turn is a colossal benefit.
Employers can acquire talent from any part of society if they are committing to a hybrid structure of work. Some talented people are unable to relocate to the place where the company is situated and the organization can collate such talents into their processes. Hence the talents from rural areas will also get an equal opportunity in getting selections to the urban-based organization without moving to cities.
Data security is also a significant challenge one may face in a hybrid work pattern. Homes may not be as cyber threat-proof like that as structured networking offices. For the assistance of Cyber-dome the voluntary project of Kerala Police can be utilized, more organizations and professionals should be a part of cyber-dome and make the voluntary organization a part of IT culture in Kerala which can provide assurance to our existing investors and surely lure prospective investors also.
For the Nation.
Before the pandemic, India was facing stringent competition in the IT sector from various countries like the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, and China. But right after the pandemic, India had a better edge in IT, than other countries. We have accepted and adapted to the altered hybrid or work-from-home model in a very swift, proficient, and professional manner than any of our competitors could, which resulted in enhanced Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and increased foreign reserves for our nation.
At the same time reduction in infrastructural fees like rent, land and building tax, electricity and water levy, etc. has apprehensively affected the budgets, especially for State Governments.
For the environment.
Less commuting to work means less fuel burnt for vehicles, thus, in turn, there is a reduced impact of carbon fumes in the environment. This also results in saving fossil fuel for society as a whole.
For various Stakeholders.
Thinking about any specific work model, we only see the employer-employee perspective, matters that only affect the duo. But, by only taking a look at the bigger picture, we notice other stakeholders who are involved. The essential group if I may say, like Cab and Autorickshaw drivers, cleaning staff, Security staff, electricians, networking personnel, small shop owners adjacent to IT parks, hoteliers, and Senior citizens who converted their part of homes as hostels and PG facilities.
The answer to how a hybrid work culture affects them won’t be a pomp and splendorous one. From my discussion with Mr. Manilal, one of the shop owners adjacent to Technopark Trivandrum- the pandemic era or the work-from-home period for IT employees was a nightmare for him and his family, since almost 100% of his customers were IT employees. He was unable to even pay the nominal fees to the Merchant’s Association to retain the membership during the said period. It would be the same for the rest of the stakeholders in varying degrees.
There are chances that this can lead to more division of wealth in our society, which is a menace and will have a direct or indirect bearing on every citizen.
Conclusion
For start-up ventures and upcoming businesses, a hybrid working model is the best available option, since they can mobilize talented resources from various segments of society in a cost-effective manner.
For an established and structured organization, in my opinion, the work-from-home option can be provided according to the needs of employees and as a reward which can instigate more work satisfaction among employees, thus can decrease labor turnover.
References:
*1- Harvard Business School Study.
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=58390
*2. Stanford University Study.
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/working-papers/does-working-home-work-evidence-chinese-experiment
