As discussions continue around the kind of working environment we might inhabit once Covid restrictions ease, there is a growing consensus that remote work will be a greater part than it has ever been before, with many advocating for a hybrid work model that gives people the flexibility to work both in the office and remotely depending on their circumstances.

It’s an approach that’s advocated in a new report from consultancy firm Accenture, which focuses on how organizations can support employees so that they’re able to be as productive as possible wherever they happen to work.

“83% of workers in our study said a hybrid model would be optimal,” the authors say. “The future of work will be characterized by complexity and managing differences. Organizations will struggle to provide working models that satisfy the needs of all workers, all the time.”

Productive work

The research found that employees were confident in their ability to be productive anywhere, with around 40% of respondents saying it didn’t really matter if they worked onsite or remotely, or indeed a combination of the two.  What’s more, the vast majority of these employees also said that were they able and supported in doing that, they would gladly stay with their employer for a long period of time.

It’s an approach that is not without its problems, however, not least of which are the HR systems and policies that have largely been created with onsite workers in mind.  Such policies are often forged with the employer in mind.  Accenture argue that a better cultural starting point is to ask where will employees be able to reach their maximum potential?

This is an important distinction because a hybrid workforce is unlikely to be a one-size-fits-all affair.  Indeed, the research highlights clear demographic divides in what people want.  For instance, nearly three quarters of Gen Zers want more opportunities to work with colleagues face-to-face.  A desire for on-site working was also higher among people living in cities or who work on a part-time or contract/project basis.

By contrast, the desire to work remotely was higher among older Gen X employees, women, people who live in a more rural location, and those who have already been with the organization a long-time and have full-time roles.

“There’s a pattern emerging in the post-pandemic workforce — the ‘productive, anywhere’ worker,” Accenture say. “This new workforce segment consists of individuals who remain productive — whether on-site or at home — and who have the strongest personal and organizational resources. As responsible leaders, we need to pivot the future of work dialogue to be not just about location, but to also address what drives the productivity, health and resilience of our people.”

Productive anywhere

The report revealed a clear distinction between those employees who are able to be productive anywhere and those who are not.  The authors argue that this distinction is largely one that is caused by inappropriate resources, both on the individual and organizational level, to help people be as productive as they can be.  These resources might include things such as supportive leadership, the right digital tools, and a degree of job autonomy.

Accenture believe that there are clear financial benefits for organizations that can deliver this “productivity from anywhere” environment.  They argue that 63% of the best performing companies have already got an environment that facilitates work from anywhere.  By contrast, a similar proportion of the worst performing companies have no such facilities in place.

“People who have the option to work in a hybrid model are better able to manage mental health challenges, have stronger work relationships and plan to stay with their companies a long time,” the authors say. “Many conversations on the future of work revolve around location, but leaders need to instead ask how to unlock people’s potential anywhere.”

Taking location out of the equation

If organizations are to truly take location out of the picture and create an environment within which people can be successful and productive wherever they choose to work, then Accenture recommend organizations look at a number of things:

• Design work around people – Too often we design work around places or the tasks involved rather than the people that do them. This is especially important in a modern workplace that is likely to have a large number of contingent workers alongside full-timers.
• Develop modern HR – HR can often seem stuck in a bygone era, despite the modern workplace being significantly different to that of the industrial era.  Accenture believe that HR strategy should work to ensure that workers are better off in terms of their physical, mental, emotional, and relational wellbeing, regardless of where they choose to work.
• Show compassion – I’ve written before about the need for compassionate leadership during the pandemic, and Accenture believe this need for humanity will endure post-Covid.
• Digital fluency – It’s well known that digitally fluent organizations tend to perform better, and with the workforce likely to become more dispersed, the importance of digital fluency is only going to increase as not only work itself but employee development and team building will take place virtually.