Why Hybrid Work Arrangement May Work Even In A Post-COVID World

Is it possible for the hybrid work arrangement to become a standard practice even after the COVID-19 pandemic?

For Investors in People in the Philippines chairperson Janet Webster, it does, saying that many companies that were reluctant to implement it at first are now open to continuing it.

“So many organizations have survived and not only that, they’ve thrived to come out stronger,” Webster said in the pilot episode of “Breakthrough With Boris Joaquin” on Wednesday, Feb. 9, livestreamed on the Facebook pages of The Philippine STAR and Career Guide.

“I think we’re on the brink of hybrid working now…So I think we’ve got an opportunity. People can see a hundred percent in the office [set-up] work, a hundred percent work-from-home work, why can’t we merge the two and make something even better?” she added.

Based on a study conducted by Investors in People in the Philippines, 91.7 percent of people surveyed believe hybrid working will benefit their respective organizations in the long term, while 8.2 percent said otherwise. Meanwhile, 37.5 percent of respondents said their productivity improved during the hybrid setup during the pandemic, and 50 percent answered that their productivity remained the same as pre-pandemic levels. The remaining 12.5 percent stated that their productivity in the hybrid work setup slowed down.

Despite the popularity of the hybrid work setup nowadays, Webster noted that employers and employees encountered some challenges, the most mentioned being internet connectivity, employee engagement/collaboration and monitoring work productivity, among others.

‘Respecting boundaries’

Asked about her thoughts on Senate Bill No. 2475 or the proposed Workers’ Rest Law, which seeks to protect employees’ rest hours, Webster emphasized that the well-being of employees has become an issue, with employers being aware of it.

“When I think about this…[what] comes into mind is that a reasonable manager or reasonable leader doesn’t make unreasonable demands,” she said.

Webster added that senior leaders “must set the culture” of recognizing the employees’ needs for rest and relaxation.

“But if we need to deal with something that…may go beyond the bounds of reason, then I think we need it, and I know some other countries actually have got similar kinds of rules. It’s just a shame we need that rule, a kind of way,” she said of the proposed measure. 

 “I think respecting the boundaries is really key, and I would expect all organizations to do that,” she added.

Webster noted it is important to consider the well-being of employees, especially when it comes to transitioning them to a hybrid working setup.

“We don’t just look at the job, we don’t just say ‘That job can work a hundred percent from home, that job can’t.’ We [should] actually look at the people doing the job at least as much as the job itself and their well-being,” she explained.

Employees should also adopt new skills when it comes to the new normal set up of working, such as technology skills, Webster pointed out.

“Whatever age we are... I don’t believe in the saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. We need to get onboard with connectivity, and be able to use the technology to collaborate,” she said, adding that people need to put in “extra effort” when it comes to collaboration with employees and managers.

Another skill that employees should adopt is flexibility, Webster said. 

“We need both employers and employees to strike this medium... we need to strike this happy medium so that we don’t insist on one thing all the time, because we need to compromise. We need flexibility and we need some consistency as well,” she stressed.

Watch the video here: