Hybrid working can improve trust, inject flexibility, increase productivity and give companies access to a wider talent pool, says InvestecThe pandemic has given companies a precious opportunity to revisit what’s considered normal in the workplace.Social proof is a term psychologists use to describe our natural tendency to conform to established behaviours as a way of being liked or accepted.
The pandemic, and its consequent restrictions on working from the office, compelled organisations and employees to break free from traditional workplace practices in search of better ones. Many haven’t looked back.Lockdowns left many employers with no option but to trust their employees to get things done without line managers peering over their shoulders.The results of this forced social experiment have been mixed. Some leaders report drop-offs in productivity; others have touted gains.
The path they choose will have far-reaching implications for the kind of culture they want to build: an ethos characterised by tight regulation and constraint, or one more characterised by autonomy and flexibility, with discipline. “The ability to think differently about how, where and when we work creates amazing possibilities,” says Lesley-Anne Gatter, head of people at Investec.