For the last couple of years, the concept of “hybrid” work has been rapidly evolving. Today, it’s not just an option for modern companies, but the “new norm” for a digital-first ecosystem. Everywhere you look,
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Eric Lechelard[/caption]
studies confirm that employees need a combination of in-office and remote working experiences to be their most productive.
Plus, as the pandemic demonstrated, the ability to work digitally is essential for companies hoping to ensure business continuity in an unpredictable world.
But what does it really mean to become a hybrid workplace? What do companies need to make this transition as successful and seamless as possible? We spoke to the Head of HR France for Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Eric Lechelard, to find out.
How Has the Workplace Changed in the Last Year?
No matter how big or small, all companies have experienced at least some significant change in the last couple of years. ALE is no exception. The leading communication and collaboration company has seen first-hand just how significant the transition to the hybrid workplace can be. Eric told me that since COVID began, the workplace has fundamentally changed.
“When the pandemic hit, everything was impacted. We had to suddenly make remote working work, almost overnight. Many companies had no prior plan in place for remote working, yet they were forced to look into digital workplaces for the future, or else risk shutting down completely.”
According to Eric, when he first arrived at ALE, the concept of working from home was still something many employees of the company considered impossible to manage full-time. This was the same in many businesses, where leaders believed remote workers simply couldn’t be as productive or efficient as their in-office colleagues.
Now, we’ve discovered first-hand that remote working can really have a positive impact on the workplace, and the classic work environment has rapidly become obsolete. “We’re seeing a massive change in the way people use office spaces. Now, anything that doesn’t require face-to-face interaction or access to specialist tools in the office is suitable for remote work. The office is no longer a central space for managing the entire business.”
How Have Things Changed for Employee Experience
For employees trying to thrive in this new remote world, communications and interactions have also seen a significant transformation. According to Eric, the Hybrid workplace has had a significant impact on the way we interact.
“Video conferencing has gone from being something that was mainly “nice to have” for a lot of companies, to being something we consider essential. Video is playing an important part in preventing feelings of isolation in this new workplace environment.”
At the same time, managers are being placed under additional pressure to think carefully about how they interact with their workers, and delegate tasks to people in the team. According to Eric, it’s crucial to ensure remote workers are getting the same opportunities as the people managers actually see in the office.
Even unions and working councils have been forced to change. People in the workplace are having to consider new strategies for how they’re going to approach issues that need to be changed. The voice of the workforce needs to be amplified through new avenues.
