Research commissioned by Landsec shows there is a lack of clarity around what ‘hybrid’ working means, with less than one in five UK workers agreeing on a definition, and this in turn is having a negative impact on bosses’ relationships with their teams.
Censuswide polled more than 800 UK employees and found 29% of respondents were ‘not very satisfied’ or ‘not satisfied at all’ with their employer’s current hybrid working approach.
Oli Knight, head of offices at Landsec, said: “There is no doubt the pandemic accelerated the rise of hybrid working. In this new world, businesses of all shapes and size are having to adapt at pace with few sources of inspiration as to what success looks like – and today’s research reveals that hybrid working is poorly defined as a result. This has led to a myriad of different approaches, not all of which are working.
“This naturally raises the question: is this flexible approach to hybrid wrong? At Landsec, we don’t believe so; but we do believe businesses must let their culture define what hybrid means for them. As landlords, we work in close partnerships with our customers to deliver tailored workplace solutions that are as unique as the businesses themselves. This is no doubt a challenge – but not one businesses have to face alone.”
Harriet Minter, a hybrid work consultant and author of ‘WFH, How to Build a Career You Love when You’re Not in the Office’, said: “Expectations around what work looks like have drastically changed over the last few years, leaving both employers and employees uncertain about what hybrid really means.
“Being bold about what hybrid means for your business and offering a workplace that is set up to support that approach, whether through integrated technology solutions or a tailored selection of different spaces within the workplace, is a sure-fire way to keep your business ahead in the war for talent. Without this, employers will find themselves losing out as current employees become disengaged and potential candidates lean towards employers with a clearer definition of hybrid and an office which brings them closer to company culture and adds clear value to both their work experience and their work-life balance.”
Landsec has published a guide called ‘The Future Office: Rising expectations in a hybrid world’ to help businesses navigate what hybrid means for them.
