Work-from-home (WFH) patterns have changed substantially following the onset of the pandemic, says the European Central Bank (ECB).
The ECB also says available data point to a persistently higher preference for remote work following the crisis. It found that more than 60% of workers had never worked from home before the pandemic. This number then fell below 40% in the months following the start of the Covid-19 crisis as office workers went home.
By May 2022, the majority of workers in the Euro area reported that they had worked remotely at least one day per week during the previous three months. This year, things have changed again as lockdown measures eased away, and companies began to issue return-to-office mandates.
As the threat passes and society opens up, more people are adapting to a hybrid model. Hybrid looks set to be the future of how workers will work, with a Gartner study finding that by the end of 2023, 39% of global knowledge workers will work hybrid, up from 37% last year.
Particularly for those knowledge workers, “Hybrid is no longer just an employee perk but an employee expectation,” says Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner.
“Many employees started to partially return to the office in 2022, but the hybrid workstyle will remain prominent in 2023 and beyond. To adapt, employers have been implementing a human-centric work design – including flexibility, intentional collaboration, and empathy-based management – which suits hybrid employees.”
When it comes to hybrid work, ideally it should offer workers the best of both worlds: a blend of at-home days and useful, structured in-office days. Workers like a hybrid mix because it gives them those essential water cooler moments and the chance to do uninterrupted, deeper work.
But it doesn’t work well for everyone. A recent study from the UK’s University of Nottingham found that younger people and low-income workers are at risk of being left behind by hybrid working.
Its research found that younger workers are less engaged and report lower levels of well-being in a hybrid set-up, and low-income employees are more likely to be excluded from splitting their time between home and the office.
Visibility
Another issue that affects hybrid workers is that of visibility. Many managers have an unconscious bias towards those who work mostly from home. It is an out of sight, out of mind attitude that leads bosses and business owners to believe that those who work on-site are more productive than remote workers.
A recent study found that 95% of executives are more aware of the performance of team members working in the office, over those who work from home for all or part of the week.
So how can you effectively have your contribution recognised when you are availing of a hybrid work model? It's not about going back to the office full-time, thankfully, but there are a few tweaks you can make to work smarter and have your contribution recognised.
Communicate
We all communicate, but you need to prioritise your communication style to make it work for hybrid. Part of this is being available when you’re not in the office, keeping messaging on and answering emails punctually––you’ll show your reliability.
Ask for a standing one-to-one meeting with your manager too, where you can help bridge any gaps, facilitate a fast and easy exchange of information, and crucially, be counted as a good worker.
In video calls, always keep your camera on. It is simply too easy to forget about an employee who is merely an avatar to you.
Coordinate
If your office days are flexible, coordinate with your team and manager to find the best days for you to all be in together. This way, you can prioritise strategy and creativity, when you are all face-to-face.
Plus, being in the office when key employees are also present gives you the opportunity to get some face-time, allow your bosses to understand you and how you work, and ultimately impress them.
However, if you feel like your manager isn’t responsive towards your best efforts to be more visible or your company is insisting you return to the office five days per week, check out the Tech EU Job Board for a new role, or discover three great companies that are actively hiring below.
German Insurtech startup Ottonova sells private health and dental insurance to German residents. Located in Munich, it offers flexible working hours to all staff so they can prioritise their physical and mental well-being. If this sounds like your dream company, check out all opportunities at Ottonova here.
With offices in Hanover, HERO Software develops project management software and mobile apps for tradespeople in Germany and Austria, from initial contact and document creation to construction site planning and billing. It offers all staff flexible working time models and a home office option meaning employees can choose between spending time at the office or working from home. View all open roles at HERO Software here.
Headquartered in Paris, PayFit is an intuitive cloud-based payroll and employee management solution designed specifically for SMBs and supports over 9,500 clients across France, Spain, and the UK. The company offers flexibility around work location and employees can work remotely from within France, Spain, or the UK. See all open roles at PayFit here.
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