Hybrid working has improved productivity, and company culture says EY

According to a survey from EY, hybrid working has led to increased productivity and improved company culture.

The EY Future Workplace Index is out—produced from an anonymous survey of 500  US business leaders, and it turns out that hybrid working is, well, it is working.

For one thing, 87 per cent of companies say the pandemic has changed the office's role for their organisation.

Secondly, fifty-seven per cent of business leaders say productivity is better today than it was pre-pandemic. EY said, "companies have found ways to enhance productivity under different working models."

Thirdly, seventy per cent to eighty-five per cent of respondents say their current setup is as or more effective than pre-COVID-19. Productivity, culture, well-being, and operations and processes rank as the four most improved areas. Eighty-three per cent of companies that say their culture has improved currently have less than half of their staff full-time in the office.

And finally, small to midsize companies are finding it easier to adapt and thrive in a hybrid workplace.

Damien Stork, mental health thought leader and founder of CHX Performance, told Techopian. "On the face of it, giving more flexibility to people to choose where they work has to be a good thing, and I am a huge proponent of the model if people have genuine choice and businesses do the hard work of modifying existing processes and practices with the human being at the centre But there is a risk."

"From a mental health perspective, our social environment is absolutely critical - we need social interaction.  For those with busy home and social lives, WFM can be extremely attractive and beneficial from a productivity perspective. However, for those living alone in high-pressure roles where work is often carried out alone, WFM could lead to further isolation and withdrawal - despite an increase in productivity giving the illusion that all is better than ever."

"Organisations that are fixated on measuring output as the primary KPI have to take real care and not just accept the 'good news'.

"Key in all of this is that we ramp up our efforts to connect with each other socially; actually take time for the seemingly minor social interactions which form part of the cultural tapestry of a business pre Covid.  Know what the life circumstances are for your colleagues and keep an eye out for them. People who withdraw are less likely to seek inclusion, less likely to recognise the need, and we all know how exclusion erodes mental health, and with it culture."

Francisco J. Acoba, Principal, Strategy and Transactions, Corporate Real Estate Consulting, Ernst & Young LLP said: "When it comes to the future of the workplace, leaders need guidance and are looking for hybrid frameworks, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution to help companies navigate these complex decisions."

"Office-based companies should implement processes, protocols and technology in the near term to effectively enable and monitor safety and health practices, use of physical space, and hybrid collaboration across their organisations."