People-centric approach: the key to retaining staff in a post-pandemic future

| August 11, 2022

Two years since the pandemic started, hybrid work has become the norm. ABS stats indicate remote working is here to stay, with two thirds of Australians working sometimes or always from home.

However, just as the pandemic has wrought unprecedented havoc, the recovery period is not business as usual either. Today, as the great resignation becomes a reality for Australian businesses, many workers are either leaving their current positions, or planning to. They’re demanding flexible working options and are prepared to quit if they don’t get what they want.

This can seem particularly challenging to SMBs, who have fewer resources to compete for talent. But the good news is that flexible work practices can actually be a competitive advantage. In Poly’s Recruit, Retain and Grow study, which surveyed more than 2,500 decision makers from December 2021 to February 2022, 72% of organisations saw an increase in productivity due to remote or hybrid working.

Organisations are aware that their employees are their greatest asset, but many risk losing their talent to competitors. This is why an effective hybrid work strategy is critical. Over half (56%) of decision makers surveyed acknowledge that they’ll start losing staff and struggle to attract new talent if they don’t fix their hybrid work plans.

So how can Australian businesses seize this opportunity and make hybrid work a success? 

1. Have flexible policies for different workstyles and personas

Hybrid work is key to attracting, securing, and retaining the best talent. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. The Poly study revealed that while some employees leave because they want more flexibility around a hybrid or remote work arrangement, others have resigned because they did not like the shift to hybrid work.

Some may prefer to work on their own time with set targets, while others can find themselves under too much pressure to work long hours, with “Zoom fatigue” due to too many video calls. The way forward must be a people-centric approach, where staff are closely involved in the workstyles that organisations seek to engage in and are provided with the best and most suitable technology for their needs. This may include upgrading to professional level AV equipment, such as HD cameras and noise-blocking headsets, to improve virtual meeting quality and reduce videoconferencing fatigue.

2. Stay agile: expect uncertainty

Businesses were forced to pivot overnight during the pandemic. Office space lay vacant, retail and hospitality facilities were empty, staff couldn’t come into work – and yet, the rent and bills and salary still needed paying. Hybrid arrangements that use a mix of smaller physical offices, working-from-home and co-working spaces, are much easier to scale up and down. Employers can also cut significant costs through downsizing office spaces and associated services. McKinsey predicts that some organisations may give up CBD headquarters and switch to suburban campuses.

If employees are equipped with and trained to use communication and collaboration technology from anywhere, they can still operate even if the main office is forced to close. Whether pandemic related, due to extreme weather events, or even industrial action causing road closures – forced evacuations and business closures can affect businesses any time. For business continuity, businesses need to be able to adjust to changing conditions and remain productive from anywhere.

3. Rethink the purpose of an office

Hybrid work will only be successful if all staff can engage and participate equally, regardless of location. It’s defined as the “three E’s” – equality, experience, and evolution. The office spaces and technologies that organisations invest in must deliver great, equal experiences for their workforce, whether for those working in the office, those working from home, or for those working anywhere in between.

Businesses must re-evaluate how to use physical offices going forward. What does hybrid work mean for office design and what technology is required to deliver meeting equality? By designing space and creating policies to suit individual needs, businesses can create engaging environments, while equalising virtual experiences through meeting equality for the workforce. 

For example, the structure and location of meetings may need to change. It may actually be more productive – and fairer – to have everyone conferencing into certain meetings, even if some staff are office-based. Other possible options include creating or renting telepresence suites in satellite offices.

Meeting equality will increasingly become expected and even mandated. ASIC has already created a policy document on the use of virtual technology for investor meetings, where “it is important that hybrid or virtual meetings are facilitated and conducted in a way that provides a reasonable opportunity for members to participate”. They also advise assessing technologies in advance, and adjourning meetings if technical issues prevent people from being able to “reasonably participate”.

Significantly, Poly’s Recruit, Retain and Grow study revealed that 64% of organisations no longer see the office as the face of a company. Instead, its technology and experience define it better. Ultimately, providing a rich and flexible work environment, where people have the tools and support needed to be effective, will give businesses the best chance of success in a competitive market. Australian employers must focus their resources on positioning themselves as an attractive destination for top talent, rather than managing situations where staff are becoming demotivated and moving on.

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