A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF HYBRID WORK ONE YEAR AFTER THE PANDEMICic

The German Fraunhofer Institute for Work and Organization (IAO) and the German Society for Personnel Management (DGFP) have done a study on the effects of hybrid work one year after the pandemic (March 2023, 362 datasets).

Hybrid work has become a standard in German companies. More than 80% of the respondents have an employer/ works council agreement in this respect.

Looking at it from a leadership perspective, mobile work creates new challenge, especially when onboarding and integration of employees and know-how sharing is concerned. Managers must make an extra effort to engage employees, and to make them identify with the company and their role. The feeling of belonging and the social interaction between employees are key for maintaining and boosting innovation.

Another challenge for leadership is effective performance management and finding a healthy balance between trust and control. Traditional leadership tools may fall short of new requirements. Hybrid work requires still more orientation from the direct manager. It takes utmost transparency in the assignment of work and systematic feedback processes to align all efforts to reach the defined goals. New digital tools assist in organizing the work and creating extra time and opportunity for communication with employees.

Not all managers are fit for these new challenges yet. Without concrete and relevant feedback, it is difficult for them to appraise themselves against present and future requirements. Team-feedback with an external facilitator, 360º feedback and external leadership assessments produce reliable information for mapping out personal development areas and supporting development activities. We will be happy to assist you with finding the most appropriate approaches.