How to unlock value in a reconfigured workplace
The pandemic has accelerated a shift to flexible work, prompting employers to rethink all aspects of how work gets done and the role of the workplace itself. As of June 2021, 82% of organizations recognize that new realities of labor markets require a hybrid model for many roles, but they’re not ready to realize that ambition. 56% of employees are working in remote/hybrid working models and in three years, employers expect 1 in 4 employees to be working a mix of onsite and remotely (in addition to the 19% who will primarily be working remotely).
Flexing your mindset and culture
Adapt to flexible work
But flexible work involves more than shifting the location of where work is done and throwing technology at a problem. Implementing a flexible work model entails a significant cultural change that requires very different behaviors and ways of working, collaborating, leading and managing.
Companies must look at talent through a different lens as they ask employees to work in new environments and in new ways. Our research shows that employers globally are concerned about the safety and wellbeing of employees, and a large majority are making adjustments to reflect new protocols post-COVID-19. Beyond this, for companies to embrace a true culture of flexibility, they must meet employees where they are, enabling individual workers and their teams to determine where, when and how they work, and the terms under which they work. And in doing so, they can increase the opportunities to make the workplace, whether in person or virtual, more inclusive and productive, enabling all employees to thrive.
Onsite or remote? How to decide
Over half of employers globally are rethinking the role of the workplace and what work should be done onsite versus remotely. In many instances, organization-wide restructurings are prompting leaders to re-examine where, as well as how and by whom, work gets done. Roughly 40% of organizations globally have either undertaken an organization-wide restructuring or are planning or considering doing so. Over half of companies (53%) that restructured also opted to alternate work teams in the office or implement split team arrangements versus 42% of organizations globally.
Many organizations are also changing where work is done to reduce supply chain risks. While 18% of employers globally have already taken action in this area, this figure rises to 31% among employers that have implemented an organization-wide restructuring.
By deconstructing jobs into component tasks, leaders can more easily see which tasks can be completed by talent working remotely. Jobs generally fall into two categories: those where a significant percentage or all of the tasks can be performed remotely and those where a significant percentage or all of the tasks need to be performed onsite. There are typically two primary considerations when assessing what work can be performed remotely: suitability and readiness.
Suitability – Is the work within a job suitable for remote work?
- Equipment handling/physical. Does the work require the usage of on-site equipment? Is the work portable?
- Collaboration. Does the work require collaboration beyond that afforded by existing technology solutions?
- Legal/regulatory. Does law require that the work/job be performed onsite?
- Business risk. Is there any risk to the business if the work is done remotely?
- Employee wellbeing. Is the risk to the employees wellbeing from on-site work acceptable?
Readiness – Is it ready for remote work?
- New skills. Will new skills be required to perform the work remotely?
- Technology availability. Is there technology available that can enable work to be performed remotely?
- Adjacent work. Does the move to a remote location negatively impact the work of a larger team in the near term?
- Employee readiness. Are employees' personal circumstances conducive to supporting remote work?
- Impact on I&D. Is the nature of the work such that the move to remote might have a negative impact on I&D?
Suitability involves assessing such factors as work portability, the type of collaboration required and risks to the business as well as employee wellbeing. Considerations for determining remote work readiness include the availability of the required technology and skills, an employee’s personal circumstances, the impact a move to remote work may have on a larger team, as well as the impact on inclusion and diversity (I&D).
As employers are reconsidering the role of the workplace, they are moving work to different jobs with over a quarter (27%) of employers globally doing so. For example, in the interest of social distancing, related tasks that can be completed remotely might be combined to form new jobs, and the tasks that need to be completed onsite can be bundled into a smaller number of other jobs, thereby limiting onsite work. Another approach could be to structure tasks into roles based on the sequence in which they need to be completed, enabling split teams to function efficiently.
As employers are reconsidering the role of the workplace, they are moving work to different jobs with 27% of employers globally doing so.
A human-centric approach to automation
In the process of deconstructing jobs, employers can also begin to identify tasks that can be best completed using automation. It’s critical to take a responsible, human-centric approach to automation and not merely regard automation as a substitute for human work. Automation can be used to augment human work or to create entirely new work, which can allow workers to focus on potentially more fulfilling, higher-value activities.
The goal is to achieve the optimal combination of human talent and automation. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) tools now assist lawyers in analyzing contracts, which speeds the process and helps eliminate human errors. This reduces time spent on contract work and frees up lawyers to take on work that requires a human touch, such as advising clients or negotiating deals.
While the percentage of organizations that use automation to complete some work increased modestly over the past year, this figure is expected to increase more substantially post-COVID-19 (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Percentage of organizations that had some work done by automation
| North America | Latin America | Europe** | Asia Pacific | CEEMEA* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last year | 42% | 31% | 28% | 29% | 31% |
| Currently | 45% | 36% | 33% | 35% | 34% |
| Post-COVID-19 | 51% | 40% | 37% | 38% | 37% |
Reskilling powers flexible work
As companies reorganize work in the process of building a flexible work model, they need to identify changing skill requirements and prioritize reskilling. It can be helpful for organizations to develop learning paths that take into account an individual’s learning objectives and build on his or her current skills and previous learning activities. Whereas in the past, companies may have organized episodic training tied to a job, today reskilling efforts must be ongoing in order to keep up with the changing needs of organizations. Learning options can include videos, podcasts, virtual/augmented reality, and online and in-person courses.
Flexible work as a priority for EX
73% of organizations have identified flexible work as a priority to improve the employee experience (EX) over the next three years. When addressing the realities of flexible work, Transformative EX organizations are…
2x more likely to:
- Redesign pay programs and policies to align with high-demand skills
- Add new programs that promote and address the realities of workplace flexibility*
- *For example: Backup daycare, subsidies for daycare or virtual learning, subsidies or reimbursement of costs for working from home
More than 2x as likely as other organizations to be prepared to:
- Design a talent ecosystem encompassing alternative work models
- Shape strategies that address the job reinvention, reskilling and talent redeployment
- Note: Based on % promoters, respondents that selected 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being “Extremely ready”
The following actions can help employers develop a sustainable approach to flexible work and help drive the employee experience:
- Ensure responsible work redesign by establishing flexible work arrangements that balance the needs of employees and the needs of the company. Aim to achieve the optimal combination of workers and automation in a way that helps employees add greater value, increases productivity and improves the employee experience.
- Establish formal, comprehensive policies around flexible work. Ensure that flexibility is part of your organizational culture.
- As work is redesigned, focus on reskilling to help your employees stay relevant and ensure that your organization can quickly and flexibly redeploy skilled talent as needed.
- Revisit your benefits to ensure that wellbeing programs provide appropriate support to remote workers, including mental health services.
Footnotes
1 **Countries in western Europe
2 *Central Eastern Europe Middle East Africa
Survey Sources
1 2021 Employee Experience Survey - Shaping EX strategies for impact
2 Global and regional insights from the 2020 Actions to Restore Stability Survey
