Millions of U.S. workers are quitting their jobs in what some are calling the “Great Resignation.” Others, such as Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, see it as the “Great Reevaluation,” as workers seek increased flexibility.
Lister says during this talent shortage, companies are going to need to meet the demands of workers, which will likely include a hybrid model.
Her research found that 56% of U.S. workers have a job that can be done at least partially remotely. She says allowing employees to shift their hours, which days they work, and even when they take a break can have a huge impact on retention.
Technology will have an outsized role in how companies implement their hybrid models. Lister says that within five years, employees may be able to meet via hologram instead of through a video call.
There are also new technologies coming online that could help support diversity initiatives. For example, artificial intelligence can offer post-meeting reports that count how often the voices speaking were men or women, or if the voices had an accent.
Lister says hybrid work requires more intentionality than fully remote or fully in-person work, to ensure that remote and in-person employees are on a level playing field. One suggestion she offered is that a remote attendee could be chosen as leader of a hybrid meeting to make sure the perspective of remote workers is represented. Another idea is to create a buddy system that pairs a remote worker with an in-person employee, who can ensure the remote worker is able to participate fully.
Watch the video to better understand why Lister thinks a hybrid workplace is the new normal.
