Is hybrid working here to stay?

With back-to-office mandates becoming more and more commonplace, the question of whether hybrid working is coming to an end has to be asked.

HR Leader recently discussed how 87 per cent of workplaces have mandated office days. While this may seem like hybrid working is coming to an end, the country head for Australia and sales vice-president for ANZ at International Workplace Group, Damien Sheehan, said the pushback from employees would be too strong.

“[Gen Z] really don’t ever want to return to the office. The other outlier is the Boomers who love that daily rhythm and cadence of being in the office. They love that structure. I think what we’re talking about here is those in between … the majority of workers that really do not want to, and I don’t think will go back to the office five days a week,” Mr Sheehan said.

“Of course, we are seeing it. The finance industry is one at the moment that are trying to demand that their workers return. Unions are now getting involved. It’s becoming a little spicy. But my view is that the answer is absolutely a hybrid approach.”

Mr Sheehan noted that the push to bring employees back in for five days in an “outdated” approach. He also believes that the biggest reason is the inconvenience that travel times pose for workers. There are some who can spend four hours a day travelling.

While remote only doesn’t have to be the approach (in some cases this can actually be bad for keeping communication and collaboration alive), hybrid working can be a great middle ground that satisfies both ends of the spectrum.

“The biggest inhibitor to getting everyone back to the office five days a week is that commute. My view? I think a blend or a hybrid is probably best. Companies seem to be settling on four days in the office, one at home, or three days in the office, two at home,” Mr Sheehan explained.

“I think it’s probably where it’ll settle. I mean, we still need to get together to collaborate. Of course. You could debate this, and there’ll be examples where it doesn’t work, but generally, that’s the feedback that we’re hearing.”

Mr Sheehan isn’t alone with these thoughts. An article by Kadence predicted what the future of hybrid working looks like and what trends could shape workplace flexibility going forward.

1. Negative effects of 100 per cent remote will gain more attention.
2. Misconceptions about home office productivity will persist.
3. Employers and employees will clash over office work.
4. Performance will become a key currency.
5. The hybrid work market will boom.

If these predictions come true, we could see employers scramble to attract and retain talent by offering more flexibility in their roles through hybrid working.

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full conversation with Damien Sheehan, click below: