As more enterprises embrace hybrid models of working, they are witnessing how it can empower businesses and employees to be more productive whilst making considerable benefits to the planet and profits. A new white paper by International Workplace Group (IWG) has forecasted an accelerated adoption of the hybrid working model in Hong Kong and across the globe going into 2022. The report identified key trends that are shaping work in 2022 against a backdrop of an era-defining phenomenon.
“One of the lasting legacies of the pandemic is the accelerated uptake of hybrid working. As the workforce in Hong Kong is now spending more time working across different locations, company leadership and HR managers are making pivotal shifts in policies as they adapt to the new hybrid reality,”
said Paul MacAndrew, Country Manager for Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area, IWG.
Reinventing HR
With organisations being more firmly committed than ever before to shaping HR policies and practices that are centred around their people whilst continuing to bring positive outcomes for the business, it has resulted in the rising adoption of flexible ways of working.
Apart from maximising employee productivity and well-being, hybrid working is also expected to create a more sustainable way of working for the planet by reducing employees’ carbon footprint from commuting. It is also projected to save organisations an average of US$ 11,000 per employee that works under the hybrid model. The IWG report points to 5 key trends that HR practitioners should take note of:
- Human Resources to Human Relations: Companies will need to bring empathy to the forefront and invest in mental health, employee wellbeing and improved lines of communication. Happier employees result in higher levels of productivity and the hybrid model is one of the ways to alleviate employee stress.
- Redefining metrics for productivity: Companies seeking to adopt flexible working arrangements should evaluate their effectiveness based on work output rather than focusing on presenteeism. Cloud-based workflow tools can help to provide real-time data to better measure productivity and enable new metrics in people analytics that can be utilised to build strategies for a more efficient organisation.
- Inflexibility is no longer an option: Research has shown that Hong Kong workers’ attitudes have shifted with four-fifths of the workforce indicating that they prefer at least one day of remote working each week. In order to ward off The Great Resignation, employees are determining what work looks like and flexibility should be at the top of the list in order for organisations to attract talent.
- A deeper talent pool: With the ability to work from anywhere, companies are able to tap into a much larger pool of candidates. Hiring managers should cast a wider net in their search for the best talent paving the way for a more competent, diverse and inclusive workforce.
- Reimagining the workplace: 65% of businesses in Hong Kong are responding positively to the hybrid work model. As a result, leaders will need to rethink how the physical office can evolve to simultaneously accommodate employee needs and business goals as hybrid work becomes the new norm. Suggestions include replacing individual cubicles with ‘social hub’ communal tables, implementing virtual-conferencing suites and investing in more wellness and green spaces for employees.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
