Alongside the wealth of opportunities now available to organisations in terms of working practices, the transition to the post-pandemic era presents a new set of workplace-related challenges. 

The Work/Place: London returning project, led by the Policy Institute and King’s Business School at King’s College London, aims to examine how the pandemic-led rise in hybrid working has impacted the way Londoners work and how these changes have affected employers, employees and London as a whole. To achieve this aim, the project brought together employers and policymakers to explore changes in work patterns and consider what the future of employment may look like. 

We interviewed senior managers from major London employers to explore their experiences of remote working during the pandemic, discover their lessons learned and uncover their intended workplace strategies going forward. Our results highlight five common and significant challenges. 

Challenge 1: inconsistent perceptions

Senior managers described as a major challenge disagreement within their organisations on both the desirability of returning to the office and on who the ultimate ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ of remote or office working were. 

For example, senior managers invariably considered office presence to be most valuable for younger employees. By contrast, our previous survey found that younger workers themselves feel very positive about the benefits of working remotely. Disagreement also exists over the optimum number of office days required within a hybrid arrangement and on how these should be organised. This divergence of opinion makes blanket policies for increased office working harder to justify.

If the aim is to create a system that works for everyone, it’s advisable for managers to foster open, multiway communication channels within the organisation to capture these different viewpoints and to facilitate employee involvement. All-staff surveys, one-to-one discussions and focus groups are some effective methods to achieve this aim. 

Challenge 2: reversing or incorporating changes

Managers must decide which pandemic-related changes to reverse or permanently incorporate – but the way forward is often unclear. For example, hybrid working has been received positively by most employees so continuing to allow it could assist with staff retention and motivation. However, managers are also concerned about the negative effects hybrid working is having on employee collaboration and workplace culture. 

What is clear is that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to this challenge. Senior managers who were most positive about this process were those who described avoiding commitment to permanent policies or investments until trial periods for new work arrangements had been carried out and evaluated. They also emphasised to employees that changes were experimental and not necessarily permanent within a process of organisation-wide learning that everyone was a part of. 

Challenge 3: role and expectation management

Ambiguity over the correct way to implement hybrid working has led many organisations to delegate decisions over individual employee’s arrangements to line management. This approach has the benefit of enhancing flexibility, but it can be stressful for line managers who feel torn between what’s best for the individual and the team. This approach may also lead to inconsistent practices and perceptions of unfairness among employees.

Providing broad guidance that outlines the organisation’s expectations regarding office presence and training for managers on how to effectively lead in a hybrid work environment can help. Senior managers, who serve as role models for employees, should also lead by example and follow the organisation’s preferred approach.

Challenge 4: transition management

Senior managers noticed a reluctance from employees to return to the office unless there was a strong justification or incentive for doing so. They felt there has been a power shift where the onus now falls to the employer to justify in-person working, rather than on the employee to build a case for working remotely. 

The increase in remote working among employees also creates headaches for managers who must adapt to new workflows and team dynamics, especially where working practices have shifted dramatically. HR departments face a related challenge in developing practices that attract and retain employees while simultaneously promoting senior managers’ preferred approach.

To ensure fair and effective policies that promote a positive work culture and represent both management and employee viewpoints, HR should be an active participant in policy development. Where office return is desired, a phased approach allows teams to adjust gradually. Continued hybrid working can be supported by installing virtual collaboration platforms and flexible workspaces for a smoother adjustment.

Challenge 5: what to do with the office? 

The shift to hybrid working raises the challenge of optimising office space and technology to create attractive environments that entice employees back, while at the same time retaining the benefits of expensive central London locations that remain attractive to employers.

Continuously reflecting on space usage and design is essential, especially when creating collaborative environments. Redesign must enable individual tasks and online collaborations alongside in-person collaboration to avoid inadvertently encouraging remote work; if the office is not suited for such tasks, it will undoubtedly hamper productivity and reduce attendance from newly-empowered employees who may feel justified in staying home, especially if they deem this environment more productive. 

Dr Amanda Jones, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at King’s Business School, King’s College London.