Employers trouble with Hybrid & Flexible Working | Consensus HR in Herts & Beds
In our latest Consensus HR blog, we talk about Employers trouble with Hybrid & Flexible Working | Consensus HR in Herts & Beds and the changing world of employment and how Employers are facing several challenges with the evolving world of hybrid and flexible work when recruiting and managing the team members.
An innovative UK pilot scheme designed to teach managers how to navigate the evolving world of hybrid and flexible work has found that bosses lack confidence in motivating their teams, running meetings and managing conflict remotely.
The two-month programme was led by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Timewise, with full details available on the CMI website.
It was introduced ahead of new legislation, the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which gave employees the legal right to request flexible working from their first day in a new job with effect from 6 April 2024.
Conducted from September to October 2023, the trial brought together leaders from 30 organisations in a wide range of sectors, from health and social work to construction, manufacturing and law enforcement.
While CMI research found that 86% of managers say their organisation operates in a hybrid way, research from the University of Birmingham found that only 43% of managers have training to manage hybrid teams.
Following the pilot, CMI evaluated its impact and found a significant difference in skills before and after the initiative. It found that, with regard to keeping their teams motivated, 43% were confident prior and 89% after the pilot.
Similarly, with regard to resolving conflict and having difficult conversations online, the figures were 46% before and 86% after the pilot.
Amy Butterworth, Consultancy Director at Timewise, said: “Flexible working has mainstreamed — but, for many, the experience still feels a little rough around the edges. During the pandemic-response years of 2020 and 2021 everyone adapted at pace, learning however they could. As a result, a myriad of ways to work in a hybrid way took root — not all of them good.”
Fundamentally, she concluded, it is important to realise that managing hybrid teams is a core business discipline for the 21st century, with a skill set that has to be learnt.
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Some of the key reasons include:
Maintaining Productivity:
Employers are concerned about how to maintain or improve productivity when employees are working remotely or on flexible schedules. Tracking work progress and ensuring accountability can be more complex outside of a traditional office environment.
Communication and Collaboration:
Effective communication and collaboration can be harder to achieve when team members are not physically present. Employers need to find and implement the right tools and strategies to ensure seamless communication and collaboration among remote and in-office workers.
Employee Engagement and Well-being:
Ensuring that employees remain engaged and maintain a sense of belonging and company culture is challenging when workers are dispersed. Additionally, supporting employee well-being, including mental health, is more difficult when employees are working remotely.
Technological Infrastructure:
Setting up and maintaining the necessary technological infrastructure to support hybrid work can be costly and complex. Employers need to ensure that all employees have access to the necessary tools and that data security is maintained.
Equity and Fairness:
Employers need to address concerns about equity and fairness between remote and in-office workers. This includes considerations around promotions, pay, and opportunities for professional development.
Adapting Management Practices:
Traditional management practices may not be effective in a hybrid work environment. Managers need to adapt their leadership styles to support and motivate remote employees effectively.
Compliance and Legal Issues:
Navigating legal and regulatory requirements related to remote work, such as labour laws, health and safety regulations, and data protection laws, can be complex and vary by region.
Our HR comment:
Matthew, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “These challenges require employers to rethink and adapt their strategies to successfully navigate the new world of hybrid and flexible working and it sometimes cannot be easy. As Consensus HR we always encourage our clients to ensure that when recruiting that a good recruitment strategy is used which ensure the correct person for the job that is needed starting with how you recruit as the last thing you want is to recruit somebody on Hybrid or flexible terms and then find they are not the correct terms and conditions for the success of the business and team.”
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