By Gerhard Hartman, Vice President, Medium Business for Sage Africa & Middle East
As we move beyond the worst of the pandemic, many South African workplaces have chosen to keep remote and hybrid working models in place for at least some of their employees. The benefits of these flexible working arrangements are well understood: less time and money spent on commuting (which has environmental benefits such as reducing carbon emissions), more flexibility, and better work-life balance. However, these flexible working arrangements need to be embedded in actual agreements between employers and employees.
Workers and their employers are becoming aware of the drawbacks of working from home. Among the many concerns they are grappling with is how it impacts career advancement. It’s a double-edged sword, benefitting some workers’ progression and putting others at risk of falling behind.
Is working remotely bad for your career?
Research indicates that many employees worry that working remotely part-time or full-time might limit their career success. An international survey by Korn Ferry found that 60% of respondents believed it would harm their career advancement if they admitted to their supervisor that they would prefer to work remotely. Research from LinkedIn found that 52% of women felt concerned or very concerned about being judged for asking for flexible hours.
The challenges are not insurmountable, but they reflect the reality that many organisations have not successfully transitioned their cultures, processes, systems and policies to cater to a hybrid working world. Although businesses did a remarkable job adjusting to lockdowns, most still struggle to get the formula right for long-term hybrid work.
Changing processes and behaviours that date back decades is far from simple. Most managers were trained to manage and engage with employees face-to-face and are still coming to grips with the nuances of hybrid work. What’s more, even after the pandemic experience proved otherwise, the perception remains that remote workers do not perform as well as they would in the office.
New strategies needed
To change this picture, HR departments and business leaders need to develop a new work strategy to get the best of both worlds from hybrid work. Here are some ways HR departments and leadership can ensure their talent has access to exceptional career development and advancement opportunities:
∙ Recognise there is no one-size-fits-all approach: Leading employers recognise that different employees want different things. Those at the start of their careers may wish to have more direct mentorship and management facetime. Others with children may value flexibility. Segmenting the workforce can enable the company to tailor training and performance management to different needs.
∙ Use the cloud to connect: Sage research shows that 88% of South African businesses already using cloud-based payroll and HR management systems when the pandemic hit were better able to adapt to remote or hybrid working arrangements. Cloud technology is a connective tissue that keeps employees engaged and connected to their teams and the company.
∙ Provide clear guidelines: It’s important to set clear expectations for meeting etiquette, mandatory in-person time, and protocols for performance evaluation. This helps employees ensure they are not missing out on opportunities. It’s also important to set guidelines for managers that help them limit bias in favour of those that spend more time in the office.
∙ Create opportunities for collaboration: It’s important to allow people to work with others to solve problems and implement projects. Structure work so hybrid teams can share goals and complete meaningful tasks. Creating virtual communities and setting periodic in-person meetings will help to keep people connected.
∙ Ensure leaders are accessible: People will feel more connected to the business and its purpose if it’s easy to check in with their managers and leaders. Ensure they know how to reach their managers via virtual channels. It can also help to set up regular meeting times for check-ins so those who are not in the office regularly stay on the radar.
Remote and hybrid work are here to stay for many businesses. Those that will win the best talent in years to come will not only offer flexible working arrangements but will do so in a way that enables people to thrive in their careers. The good news is that organisations have nearly three years of experience to guide them in making the decisions that will be best for their people and their business.
