There is a post-pandemic shift happening out there. Whilst some employers have embraced the realities of a hybrid workforce... others we are witnessing, are taking significant backsteps and demanding that their people come back to the office (let’s call it the ‘great return’).  

In this article, we muse over why this is happening... hearing from Caspian One Director, Nicole Thompson - who reflects on Caspian One’s hybrid transition story, how the Board needed to adapt and our circumstances today. For more information on anything mentioned, contact hello@caspianone.com

Set the scene – what led to our current hybrid environment?

“Flexible working was something we were discussing even before COVID. In early 2020 we conducted a staff survey that highlighted a want from all our people for more flexibility in their hours. We ran 8-10 people working groups and had defined a plan for changing core hours, summer hours etc... there was a proposal all ready to be implemented in April. Compared to where we are now though, it wasn’t all that exciting – people weren’t asking for remote work or hybrid, just simple changes.”

“Well, we didn’t expect those plans to then come up against a global pandemic. Fast forward six months and now we’ve got an entirely remote workforce who all of a sudden, are asking for a new kind of flexible working - to deal with things like childcare and what was happening in their lives. It meant that as a Board of Directors we quickly had to change our attitude towards when, where and how

people worked... but that didn’t mean we weren’t concerned.”

“In the end though, we realised there was no need or reason to fear. Listening to our people throughout the lockdowns we heard, saw, and experienced ourselves the improvements in work-life balance. Everyone felt they had more time available with the lack of commuting and changes in how we communicated (reducing time wastage), which also made, for example, everyday chores easier to achieve. Plus, sitting outside in the sunshine and pottering around the garden at lunchtime is way nicer than being in the office.”

“In a way, we felt brave doing this as an employer. We had to accept this shift of power; when you’re in the office you’re in control, you can see what everyone’s doing, etc.

Our biggest fears early on all related to how we’d manage our people and their levels of productivity and success, but it wasn’t anything like we thought. We realised that our employees still want a job, they want to be successful, they still know what’s expected of them and they want the company to be successful too, regardless of working location.”

“Although the power has shifted it’s been nothing but a positive for us. We showed faith in our people and demonstrated trust without micromanagement. In return everyone has stepped up, the rate of work has increased, and our employees are more responsible, productive and efficient.”

Circumstances today?

“As the world was returning to ‘normal’ so-to-speak, the challenge then became how do we keep that split. People still wanted the work-from-home scenario they’d become accustomed to, but they were also keen to return to the office for the social sides of working together; sharing experiences and being in that shared atmosphere.”

“We started with a few simple changes to our office layout and infrastructure. For example, redesigning the space, upgrades to hardware, and bringing in more private areas for video conversations... all to accommodate a new style of work.”

“As a board, we then delegated personal management of work locations to our employees, which took a bit of effort and confidence. Now though, it means people can work where they feel most effective; perhaps gaining more headspace at home where they can control the level of stimulus or coming into the office to be surrounded by people and noise, giving them energy and motivation.”

“There are still some hurdles to be overcome such as not falling back into bad habits and maintaining internal comms and our social culture. There was also the initial cost impact of new systems and extra infrastructure, but all this investment in our people has already more than paid off in what they’re achieving for the company.”

What does hybrid mean to us?

“Hybrid I feel is about being a responsible and trusting employer. It’s releasing those fears relating to people management and control, learning to adapt, and respecting your team.

For us, we do find there needs to be some guidelines, e.g., core business hours or set days when the division is all in the office together to best collaborate. These provide structure and enable greater results - we do still have to mould around our clients and their needs. But going back to the original pre-COVID surveys, we have found for most people it’s more about flexible locations than flexible hours. We’ll continue to review and expand on our working practices, investigating options like shorter working weeks, but where hybrid is concerned it’s very much here to stay.”

What are we witnessing externally?

On the one hand, you have Elon Musk demonstrating antiquated views on remote work, demanding Tesla employees work specific hours from set locations with no flex.

JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs in May 2022, each both made hard-line statements against working from home – with CEO David Solomon referring to remote-work arrangements as “an aberration that we’re going to correct as quickly as possible”.

We’re also seeing many recruitment and consultancy businesses comparable to Caspian One, bringing their people back to the office full time.

On the other side, in KPMG International’s 2022 ‘Current trends in remote working’ report - findings from 530+ companies highlighted a clear trend towards remote work, with 89% of companies interviewed having already introduced (or are currently considering) remote working policies. The report also states remote implementation was highest in telecommunications and technology, with a majority of job seekers now giving preferential treatment to remote/hybrid roles.

Specific to Caspian One, we’re certainly witnessing a rise in remote and hybrid roles coming from our clients and a shift in the ‘wants’ of skilled candidates interested in flexible working. It’s also opening new markets and opportunities, with companies able to explore and onboard people from a global pool of talent.

For more information on hybrid working, what we’re witnessing in the FinTech and Broadcast Media technology markets and how we’ve adapted as a company, contact us via hello@caspianone.com